3   1822  01120  1076 


presented  to  the 
UNIVERSITY  LIBRARY 
UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 
SAN  DIEGO 

by 

MRS.     R.  H.    BAKER 


DS  881  B62  1883 


DS 


3  1822  01120  1076 


/ 


YOUNG  JAPAN.-- 

YOKOHAMA    AND    YEDO 


A     NARRATIVE 


THE  SETTLEMENT  AND  THE  CITY 

FROM   THE 

SIGNING    OF    THE    TREATIES    IN    1858, 

TO   THE 

CLOSE   OF   THE   YEAR    1879. 

WITH 

A    GLANCE   AT    THE   PROGRESS    OF    JAPAN 

DURING    A    PERIOD    OF    TWENTY-ONE    YEARS. 
BY 

JOHN    R.  (BLACK, 

Formerly  Editor  of  the  "Japan  Her  aid"  and  of  the  " 'Japan  Gazette";  Editor 

of  the  "  Far-East  "  Illustrated  Monthly  Magazine.     Also  the  Proprietor 

and  Editor  of  the  "A'isshin  Shinjishi" — the  first  Newspaper  (worthy 

uf  tJie  name)  ever  published  in  the  native  language  in  Japan. 

IN     TWO     VOLUMES. 

VOL.   I. 

NEW    YORK: 
BAKER,     PRATT     &     COMPANY. 

LONDON  :   TRUBNER  &  CO.     |     YOKOHAMA  :   KELLY  &   CO. 

1883. 

All  Rights  Reserved. 


PRINTED 
AT  THE  PRIVATE  PRINTING  OFFICE  OF  THE  AUTHOR, 

NO.    l6,   YOKOHAMA,   JAPAN. 


TO  ONE 

WHO, 

ALL   HER   LIFE   LONG, 
HAS   DEVOTED    HEE   ENERGIES 
TO    THE    WELFARE    OF    OTHERS, 
DISREGARDING    HERSELF  ; 

AND   WHO, 
FOR   MORE    THAN    THIRTY    YEARS 

HAS   MADE 

MY   WELL-BEING   AND    HAPPINESS 
HER  .FIRST    CARE. 

TO  MY  DEAR  WIFE  : 

MY  COMPANION  :   MY  COMFORT  :  AND  MY  CROWN  : 

THIS  NARRATIVE 

OF   A    PERIOD, 
THE    GREATER    PART    OF    WHICH    WE    HAVE    SPENT    TOGETHER 

IN    THIS 
LAND    OF   PROMISE, 

IS     DEDICATED 

WITH    THE 

DEEPEST  AFFECTION  AND  RESPECT. 


PEEFACE. 

To  the  dignity  of  history  this  book  makes  no  pretension. 
It  is  a  simple  narrative  of  the  most  prominent  events 
that  have  taken  place  in  the  beautiful  '  Land,  of  the 
Rising  Sun,'  in  which  foreigners  have  been  more  or  less 
interested,  and  with  which  they  have  been  more  or  less 
connected,  during  the  twenty-one  years  that  have  elapsed 
since  the  existing  treaties  were  entered  into  in  1858. 

If  asked  to  account  for  the  origin  of  the  book,  I  can 
truly  say,  with  Topsy,  "  I  specs  it  growed."  The  '  pro- 
spectus '  circulated  to  announce  its  intended  publication, 
may  be  quoted  to  shew  how  literally  this  is  correct  :— 

"When  in  June  last  the  author  of  the  present  work 
arrived  in  Japan,  out  of  health,  and  looking  fora  restora- 
tion from  the  mere  sea-trip,  backwards  and  forwards, 
between  Yokohama  and  Shanghai,  he  had  no  idea  but 
that,  after  a  sojourn  of  ten  days,  he  would  return — he 
hoped  better  for  the  change. 

"Instead  of  this  being  realised  he  found  himself  at  the 
end  of  that  time,  obliged  to  place  himself  under  medical 
care,  and  compelled  to  remain  a  while  longer. 

"  As  he  approached  convalescence,  he  was  scanning  over 
the  pages  of  the  Far  East,  and  came,  at  the  close  of  the 
sixth  volume,  upon  a  "  Retrospect,"  written  in  June 
1875,  of  all  the  events  that  had  been  recorded  in  the 
pages  of  the  magazine  since  its  establishment  in  May 
1870.  It  interested  him  so  much,  and,  although  he  had 
himself  written  it,  mentioned  so  many  circumstances  in 
the  progress  of  Japan  within  that  short  period,  which  had 
passed  from  his  mind,  that  he  thought  it  was  worth 
republishing  in  pamphlet  form  ;  and  then,  remembering 
that  Japan  was  just  completing  its  majority,  since,  by  the 
Treaties  of  Mr.  HARRIS  and  Lord  ELGIN,  for  the  United 
States  and  England  respectively,  she  was  born  into  the 
family  of  nations,  he  determined  to  amplify  it,  and  give 
a  historiette,  more  particularly  with  regard  to  Yokohama 
and  Yedo,  of  the  whole  period  of  twenty-one  years.  He 
intended  to  do  this  in  a  pamphlet,  expecting  it  would 
occupy  about  120  pages,  and  supply  him  with  occupation 
during  the  remainder  of  his  stay. 


VI  I  PREFACE. 

"But  when  once  he  commenced  his  task,  he  found  it  of 
such  absorbing  interest,  that  it-  gradually  grew,  until  it 
was  evident  the  idea  of  a  mere  pamplilet  must  be  given 
up.  He  did  not  as  yet,  however,  expect  it  would  extend 
to  more  than  one  volume  Octavo,  containing  about  400 
pages.  As  he  proceeded  he  found  it  impossible  to  con- 
dense his  materials  even  to  bring  the  book  within  these 
limits ;  and,  as  a  fact,  the  First  Volume,  now  completed 
and  "  in  the  Press,"  will  be  over  400  pages,  and  finishes 
with  the  Commercial  year — June  180(5 ;  just  after  the 
Ratification  of  the  Treaties  by  His  Imperial  Majesty  the 
Mikado ;  leaving  the  story  yet  to  be  told  of  the  later 
thirteen  years,  during  which  the  greatest  progress  has 
been  made." 

So  much  for  the  origin  of  the  work.  As  for  its  plan, 
I  would  particularly  call  attention  to  the  fact  that  it 
professes  to  be  a  narrative  of  the  Settlement  of  Yokohama 
and  the  City  of  Yedo,  since  the  year  1858.  I  purposely 
adopted  the  narrative  form,  first  as  allowing  a  lighter  and 
more  readable  style  than  that  of  history ;  and  then,  as 
permitting  personal  reminiscences  to  be  introduced, 
which  recall  to  mind  many  '  weel-kent  faces'  of  the  olden 
time ;  and  at  once  secure  a  host  of  sympathizers,  not 
only  in  Japan,  but  in  almost  every  other  country.  For 
what  country  can  be  naiiied  that  has  not  in  it  either 
some  old  resident  of  Yokohama  of  the  early  days,  or 
some  who  were,  or  are,  collaterally  connected  with  them. 

To  these,  the  chapters  of  the  smaller  local  and  social 
events,  it  is  hoped,  will  be  agreeable.  The  chapter  on 
Municipal  affairs  ma}*  be  deemed  as  altogether  too 
minute  in  its  details.  But  I  have  given  them  that  those 
who  condemn  our  non-possession  of  any  power  to  control 
our  own  settlement's  affairs,  may  see  that  efforts  have 
been  made  in  that  direction;  by  whom  those  efforts  were 
made  ;  and  why  they  failed.  Thus,  the  chapter  will  pro- 
bably have  a  wide  circle  of  interested  readers  ;  though  it 
is  of  course  certain  that  all  these  matters  will  be  of  very 
secondary  importance  with  the  outside  world,  to  whom 
mere  localisms  cannot  be  of  any  moment.  But  the  poli- 
tical affairs  have  in  themselves,  so  much  that  is  unique  : 
so  much  that  the  history  of  no  country  but  Japan  can 
show:  that  the  narrator  must  be  clumsy  indeed,  who,  in 
relating  them,  deprives  them  of  the  absorbing  interest 


PREFACE.  VH 

they  intrinsically  possess.  I  have  dwelt  upon  some  of 
them  at  greater  length  than  I  originally  intended, 
because  they  have  been  brought  powerfully  under  public 
notice,  and  much  discussed,  within  the  last  five  years  ; 
and  I  thought  that,  if  I  gave  both  sides  of  certain  vexed 
questions,  I  might  be  justified  in  pointing  out  the  feelings 
of  all  foreigners  with  regard  to  them,  at  the  time  of  their 
occurrence. 

My  own  personal  sympathies  are  so  strongly  with 
Japan  and  the  Japanese,  that  I  would  have  been  glad  if 
I  could  have  avoided  some  of  the  more  sombre  tints 
which  I  have  been  obliged  to  use  but  too  frequently  in  the 
series  of  pictures  I  am  sending  forth.  As  it  is,  I  know 
that  there  are  many  who  will  think  I  have  occasional!}' 
spoken  too  favourably.  But  it  is  not  so.  In  good  truth, 
it  would  be  easy  to  go  to  greater  lengths,  both  in  blame 
and  in  praise,  and  still  leave  considerable  margins. 

The  opening  chapter  is,  as  will  at  once  be  understood, 
nothing  but  a  rapid  survey,  in  as  few  words  as  possible, 
of  the  state  of  things  in  Japan  from  the  establishment  of 
the  Empire  to  the  period  at  which  my  narrative  proper 
begins.  For  those  who  are  tolerably  well  acquainted 
with  Japan,  it  was  unnecessary  ;  but  it  was  written  after 
the  greater  part  of  the  book  was  penned,  in  order  that 
any  who  might  not  be  familiar  with  Japanese  history, 
into  whose  hands  the  book  might  come,  should  be  able  to 
understand  generally  what  the  system  was  that  had  such 
a  violent  wrench  when  the  Treaties  were  made ;  and  a 
total  subversion  shortly  after  their  ratification,  and  in 
their  fulfilment. 

With  respect  to  my  sources  of  information,  I  must 
confess  that  some  portions  of  my  narrative  might  justly 
be  called  a  compilation;  but,  if  so,  it  is  from  my  own 
writings.  As  a  maker  of  history,  my  course  has  indeed 
been  infinitessimal ;  but,  as  a  recorder  of  current  events 
from  day  to  day,  I  have  had  to  pay  greater  attention  to 
all  occurrences,  social  and  political,  than  those  engaged 
in  other  professions  are  called  upon  to  do.  As  Editor, 
for  many  years,  of  newspapers  published  in  Japan,  I  have 
had  to  seek  the  best  sources  for  every  kind  of  informa- 
tion :  to  sift  the  numerous  statements  that  are  apt  to  be 
made  on  all  subjects :  to  put  the  information  thus  gathered 
and  sifted,  into  a  concise  and  presentable  form  :  and 


VIII  PREFACE. 

oftentimes  to  give  expression  to  personal  feeling  or 
public  opinion  upon  the  facts  related.  It  is  .natural, 
therefore,  that  I  should  draw  largely  upon  the  papers  I 
have  so  written ;  but  I  have  in  most  cases  avoided  giving 
any  important  facts  from  them,  when  my  memory  could 
not  recall  the  source  from  whence  I  had  them ;  or 
when  that  source  was  not  absolutely  reliable,  or  was 
debateable. 

But  I  have  also  derived  much  assistance  from  the  la- 
bours of  others,  who  have  published  works  on  Japan  or  on 
Japanese  affairs.  Mr.  OLYPHANT  and  Sir  BUTHERFORD 
ALCOCK  I  have  quoted  largely.  The  translation  of 
The  Legacy  of  lyeyas1,  by  Mr.  J.  F.  LOWDER, 
has,  not  only  in  this  book,  but  also  on  many  occa- 
sions, been  invaluable  to  me.  Mr.  ERNEST  M. 
SATOW'S  papers  on  many  subjects,  have  also,  not  only 
given  me  a  fund  of  important  information  on  themes 
that  less  ardent  students  of  Japanese  lore  than  he,  hardly 
even  know  where  to  look  for  ;  but,  in  particular,  for  the 
purposes  of  this  work,  it  will  be  seen  that  his  translation 
of  Kinse  Shiriaku  has  been  freely  drawn  upon. 

I  have  to  acknowledge  the  kindness  of  Mr.  DOHMEN, 
H.  M.  Acting  Consul  in  Yokohama,  in  placing  at  my 
disposal,  blue-books  and  other  requisite  documents.  To 
the  proprietors  of  the  newspapers,  the  Japan  Herald  and 
Japan  Mail,  for  the  use  of  their  files ;  and  to  Mr.  HOUSE, 
for  permission  to  make  free  use  of  his  pamphlets,  Kago- 
sJtinui  and  Shimonogeki,  I  am  much  indebted.  Above  all 
is  my  gratitude  due  to  the  proprietors  of  the  Japan 
Gazette,  who  kindly  placed  not  only  their  files,  but  their 
type,  at  my  service. 

But,  it  is  impossible  in  this  place  to  thank,  as  they 
ought  to  be  thanked,  all  who  have  aided  me,  and  made 
my  labour  light,  in  bringing  out  this  book. 

My  only  hope  is,  that,  being  so  far  completed,  they 
will  find  that,  as  a  narrative,  it  is  generally  correct ;  and 
that  the  interest  of  the  subject  justifies  the  labour 
bestowed  on  it :  the  encouragement  they  have  afforded 
me :  and  the  expectations  they  have  so  kindly  and 
generously  expressed. 

J.  R.  BLACK. 

Yokohama,  8th  January,  1880, 


CONTENTS. 


PRELIMINARY  CHAPTER. 

PAGE 

Introductory. — Japan  as  it  appears  to  a  superficial  observer 
now. — Very  different  twenty-one  years  ago. — Where  is  the 
difference  ? — The  Imperial  Dynasty. — Jinmu  Tenno. — Antoku 
Tenno. — Commencement  of  the  Modern  History  of  Japan. — 
The  dual  system  of  Government. — The  Emperors  supremacy 
never  questioned. — The  Tycoon.  Sei-i  Tai  Shdgun. — Yoritomo. 
— Kamakura. — Complete  isolation  of  the  Mikado  :  and  Go- 
vernment by  the  Military  Chief — Efforts  of  Mikado  to  re- 
cover his  authority. — Temporary  success  of  Godaigo. — 
Ashikaga  Taka-uji. — Ota  Nobunaga. — Taico  Sama. — lyeyas' 
founder  of  the  last  dynasty  of  Shoguns. — Japan  open  to 
foreigners  from  1542  to  1087. — Finally  closed  to  all  but  the 
Dutch  Factory  at  Nagasaki  — The  Kuge,  or  Court  Nobles. — 
The  Dairnios — Kokushiu,  Fudai  and  Tozama. — Hatamotos. — 
The  Samurai . — The  common  people.  -  -The  Government  at  a 
glance 1-12 

CHAPTER  I. 

The  Majority  of  foreign  intercourse  with  Japan. — Arrival  of  Lord 
'  Elgin  to  make  a  treaty  for  England. — Commodore  Perry's  U. 
S.  Treaty. — Followed  by  others. — The  treaties,  though  peace- 
fully obtained,  effected  by  intimidation. — Lord  Elgin's  Mission. 
— Arrival  of  Mr.  Alcock.  H.  B.  M.  Envoy. — Tozenji. — Kana- 
gawa. — Dispute  between  Japanese  and  foreign  representatives 
as  to  site  of  the  settlement. — Practically  settled  by  the 
Merchants. — Yokohama,  old  and  new. — Respective  capabilities 
of  the  two  ports  13-29 

CHAPTER  II. 

The  British  Minister's  first  three  difficulties. — The  locality  of  the 
settlement. — Attempts  to  pro  vent  free  use  of  the  Tokaido. — 
The  currency  question.— Mr  Alcock's  own  record  of  the  open- 
ing day. — Completeness  of  arrangements  made  by  Govern- 
ment.— The  "Receipt  of  Custom." — Curio  street. — Attempted 
purchases. — Disappointment  and  its  cause. — Ingenious  if  not 
fair.— Relative  value  of  gold  and  silver. — Japanese  wide- 
awake but  mistaken.— Silver  and  copper  coin. — Japanese 
first  year's  experience  of  foreigners  not  encouraging.— Efflux 
of  gold. — Assimilation  of  values  to  those  of  other  countries...  30-37 


VI  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  III. 

PAGE 

Distaste  for  foreign  intercourse. — The  first  assassinations. — The 
mission  of  Count  Mouravieff  Amoorsky. — His  large  retinue. — 
Throe  Russians  murdered. — Butchery. — No  previous  apprehen- 
sions of  such  attacks. — Rudeness  of  samurai.— Apology. — 
Probable  motives  — Greed  of  foreigners.— Effect  on  the  Japan- 
ese mind. — Another  cold -blooded  murder. — Destruction  of  the 
Tycoon's  palace  in  Yedo. — Gloomy  aspect  -of  affairs. — Not 
shared  by  all. — Noble  aspirations  of  the  Japanese 38-44 

CHAPTER  V. 

More  disasters. — Great  fire  in  Yokohama. — Earthquake. — Murder 
of  Mr.  Alcock's  interpreter  Dankitchi. — Demand  among:  Japa- 
nese for  firearms. — Destruction  of  French  Legation  by  lire. — 
Pleasant  rumours  and  prospects. — Two  Dutch  captains  cut 
down. — Crowning  catastrophe. — The  assassination  of  the 
Regent 45-52 

CHAPTER  VI. 

More  attacks. — The  case  of  Mr.  Moss. — His  trial  and  sentence. — 
Mr.  Alcock  alters  the  sentence — Result. — Fire  at  English 
Legation. — Apprehensions. — Roniii. — Relations  of  daimios  and 
their  retainers. — The  Government  powerless — Meeting  of 
foreign  representatives. — Resolve  to  retire  from  Yedo. — 
Murder  of  Mr.  Heusken. — Suicide  of  Oribe-no-Kami 53-57 

CHAPTER  VII. 

Ministers.  Mr.  Harris  excepted,  leave  Yedo — Effect  upon  the 
government. — Invitation  to  return. — Mr.  Alcock  visits  Naga- 
saki.— Returns  overland  to  Yokohama  and  Yedo. — Mr  Oly- 
phant. — Attack  on  British  Legation. — Officers  wounded. — 
Ronins  in  possession. — Mr  J.  F.  Lowder. — Mr.  Macdonald...  58-62 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

Enquiry  as  to  attack  on  British  Legation. — Paper  found  on  one 
of  the  ronin  — Subsequent  report. — Failure  of  the  enterprise. 
Hara-kiri— Japanese  code  of  honour.— Foreign  Legation  Guards. 
— Necessity  for  a  naval  force  within  reach  of  Japan. — Mr.  de 
Witt  refuses  to  reside  in  Yedo. — More  bloodshed. — The  governor 
of  Yedo. — Request  to  Consuls  resident  in  Kanagawa  to  remove 
to  Yokohama. — Facts  and  rumours G3-(!8 

CHAPTER  IX. 

Inability  of  Government  to  protect  foreigners. — Government 
anxiety  as  to  opening  Yedo. — Closer  relations. — Proposals  to 
defer  the  opening  of  Yedo.  Hiogo.  Osaka  and  Ni-igata. — 
Autographic  letter  from  Tycoon  to  the  Queen. — Mr  Olyphant 
its  bearer. — Embassy  to  treaty  powers  determined  on. — Esta- 
blishment of  the  Japan  Herald. — Japanese  Embassy  leaves 
for  Europe. — Its  results. — Dedication  of  Roman  Catholic 
church.  Yokohama. — English  Church. — Attempted  closing  of 
the  Tokaido  to  foreigners. — Mr.  Alcock's  action — Confla- 
grations.— Water  supply. — Land  rental. — Progress  of  trade. — 
Imports.— The  Dutch  Consul  and  the  Customs.. ..  69-7;", 


CONTENTS.  vn 

CHAPTER  X. 

PAGE 

Assault  on  Ando  Tsushima-no-Kami. — Yokohama  residents 
demand  Municipal  Government. — Newspaper  Correspondence. 
— Prospects  <>f  improvement. — Japanese  intolerance. — Water 
scheme  for  Yokohama. — Mr.  Alcock  leaves  for  England. — 
Foreigners  on  the  opening-  of  the  Ports. — Their  mistaken 
views. — French  and  English  Ministers  defer  the  opening. — 
The  English  Notification. — Portuguese  treaty  ratified. — 
Municipal  committee  formed. — Arrival  of  new  U.  S.  Minister 
and  Consul. — Mr.  Townsend  Harris 7G-90 

CHAPTER  XI. 

Amusements  of  foreigners. — Races.  —Indication  of  Japanese 
desire  for  progress. — Establishment  of  a  college  in  Yedo  for 
foreign  languages,  history,  science,  &c. — News  received  of 
postponement-  of  opening  the  treaty  ports. — Dissatisf action •• — 
Arrival  of  Lisut.-Colonel  St.  John  Neale. — Offer  of  Governoi: 
of  Kanagawa  to  allot  Bluff  land  for  foreigners'  residences. — 
Rejection  on  plea  of  its  being  too  limited. — Murder  of  two 
Marines  at  H.B.M.'s  Legation,  Yedo.— Real  desire  of  Japanese 
Government  to  protect  foreigners  — Thwarted  by  disaffected  • 
daimios,  ronins.  &c. — Casualties  endured  by  themselves  in  our 
cause. — Constant  bloodshed. — Foreigners,  ignorant  of  the  real 
facts,  had  grounds  for  discrediting  statements  made  to  them. 
— Marriage  of  the  Shogun  to  the  sister  of  the  Mikado  — 
Mission  of  Ohara  as  special  Envoy  from  the  Mikado  to  the 
Shogun. — Accompanied  by  Shimadzu  Saburo.  father  of  prince 
Satsuma. — Doubts  as  to  Shimadzu's  animosity  against  for- 
eigners.—Incident  at  Himeji — ronins  demand  his  leadership 
in  the  expulsion  of  foreigners 'Jl-!)'J 

INTERPOLATORY  CHAPTER. 

Reason  for  this  interpolation. — The  Daiinio  of  Satsuma. — 
Shimadzu  Saburo. — His  son  adopted,  and  himself  appointed 
Guardian  of  the  state. — Active  in  Public  Affairs. — Scheme 
for  the  unification  of  the  empire  under  the  Mikado,  and  the 
advancement  of  Satsuma. — Visits  Kioto.. ..Proclamation  before 
leaving  Kagoshima. — Jealousy  of  Daimios. — His  firmness  — 
Proffered  co-operation  of  ronins  in  attacking  foreigners. — His 
reply. — Agrees  to  send  messengers  to  them  at  Fushimi. — 
Their  determination. — The  interview. — Brave  conduct  of 
Satsuma  men. — Its  results. — Saburo  proceeds  with  his  plans  ; 
and  is  sent  by  the  Mikado  with  a  nobleman  of  the  Imperial 
Court,  on  a  mission  to  Yedo 100-110 

CHAPTER  XII. 

Japanese  officials  wish  to  trade  witli  foreign  countries. — Purchase 
of  barque  Armistice. — Yokohama  municipality  languishes. — 
Consuls  willing  to  delegate  to  it  certain  powers. — Measles 
epidemic  in  Yedo. — General  exaggeration  in  Japanese  statis- 
tics.— Sanitary  state  of  Yokohama — Filthy  canals  intersecting 
the  Native  town. — General  cleanliness  of  the  people.— Public 
tubbing. — Native  bath-houses. — Simplicity  of  Japanese  life. — 
The  toilet. — Golden  lacquer. — Field  work. — Mountebanks. — 
Priests. — Kagura.— Firemen 111-12:-) 


CONTENTS. 
CHAPTER  XIII. 

PAGE 

The  sad  talc  must  be  told. — Shimadzu  Saburo's  threat  to  murder 
foreigners. — Doubts  as  to  its  truth. — If  true,  probable  reason. 
— The  murder  of  Mr  Richardson. — Mrs.  Borrodaile's  stute- 
mcut :  Mr.  Clarke's  and  Mr.  Marshall's  evidence.— Unchal- 
lenged until  187"). — The  Satsuma  version  .—Effect  on  the 
residents  on  the  news  reaching- the  settlement. — Colonel  Ncale 
and  the  mounted  escort. — H.  B.  M.'s  Consul  takes  the  escort 
without  orders. — The  body  of  Mr.  Richardson  found  :  and 
statement  of  Japanese  on  the  spot,  respecting  his  actual  death. 
— Colonel  Neale  the  only  person  who  kept  within  the  bounds 
of  prudence. — The  body  conveyed  to  Kanagawa. — Meeting  of 
the  residents. — Resolutions  passed. — Deputation  to  Admiral 
Kuper  on  board  H.M.S.  Euryalus. — Also  to  captains  of 
French  and  Dutch  men-of-war. — And  to  Colonel  Neale. — 
Meeting  at  the  French  Minister's  house. — Colonel  Neale's 
refusal  to  act  as  proposed  by  the  residents . — Approval  of  his 
conduct  by  his  Government,  and  subsequently  by  his  country- 
men . — Original  condemnation  of  it  by  all  foreigners  and  by 
the  press. — Probable  results  of  immediate  action. — Colonel 
Neale's  prompt  communication  with  the  Japanese  Govern- 
ment.—Perplexity  of  Yedo  Government 124-144 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

State  of  public  feeling  in  Yokohama. — Enrolment  of  a  volunteer 
corps. — Meeting  of  landrenters. — Autumn  race  meeting. — 
Terrible  visitation  of  cholera  in  Yedo  and  Yokohama. — No 
foreigners  attacked  by  it. — Attractions  to  Japan. — Change 
among  the  Japanese  at  the  open  ports. — Injudick>"8  familiari- 
ty.— Still  much  that  was  agreeable  preserved. — The  samurai 
or  military  class — their  privileges  ;  prohibition  from  any  but 
special  occupations  ;  officials  selected  from  them  :  their  idle- 
ness ;  conceit ;  code  of  honour. — Remark  of  a  daimio  to  Sir 
Rutherford  Alcock  on  this  point. — Japan  no  paradise  before 
opened  to  foreigners. — On  the  subject  of  foreign  intercourse 
samurai  generally  adopted  the  views  of  their  prince. — .Shogun 
obliged  to  place  a  large  guard  for  the  protection  of  foreigners. 
— The  dangerous  class. — Incident  in  Tokio  in  1872,  and  con- 
versation with  an  official 145-157 

CHAPTER  XV. 

Ohara's  mission. — Various  reasons  assigned  for  Shimadzu 
Saburo  accompanying  it.  Abolition  of  enforced  residence  of 
the  daimios  in  Yedo. — Exodus  of  daimios,  their  families  and 
retainers  from  the  city. — The  consequent  effect  on  the  capital. 
— Doings  of  the  ronins. — The  ex-Prince  of  Tosa  arrives  in 
Kioto. — Sat-cho-to, — Two  later  missions  from  the  Mikado  to 
the  Tycoon. — Tycoon  resolves  to  comply  with  the  order  to 
visit  Kioto — Agitation  among  foreign  residents  kept  up  by 
flying  rumours. — Consular  notification. — Indignation  of  for- 
eigners.— fireat  changes  that  have  taken  place  on  the 
Tokaido-  now  deserted  in  consequence  of  the  construction  of 
a  railway  between  Yokohama  and  Yedo. — Picture  of  it  as  it 
was  in  1803. — Description  of  it  as  seen  by  Kcempifer  two 
centuries  ago 158-172 


CONTENTS.  IX 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

PAGE 

Rumour,  at  the  commencement  of  1863,  that  the  ronins  intended 
to  slay  all  the  foreign  representatives. — Preventive  measures. 
— Rumour  proves  to  be  false. — Another  request  of  the  Governor 
of  Kanagawa  that  foreigners  should  avoid  the  Tokaido. — 
Burning  of  the  British  Legation  building  at  Go-ten-Yama, 
Yedo,  and  a  lengthened  detail  of  the  circumstances  that  led 
to  it. — Those  who  now  judge  their  countrymen  who  passed 
through  those  times  should  put  themselves  in  their  place. — 
Knowledge  now  attained  not  then  existing. — What  foreigners 
did  know. — Facts  as  they  appeared  before  them  had  alone  to 
be  considered. — As  a  rule  foreigners  were  quiet  and  well-con- 
ducted :  and  most  favourably  disposed  towards  the  country 
and  people  of  Japan. — The  true  nature  of  the  government 
begins  to  reveal  itself. — The  Tycoon  no  emperor,  but  yet  a 
real  potentate. — Combination  of  circumstances  that  led  to  his 
downfall  173-185 


CHAPTER  XVII, 

The  protection  of  the  Mikado. — Competitive  examinations. — 
Anxiety  of  the  government. — Daimios  encouraged  to  purchase 
steamers. — Provision  for  protecting  the  foreign  settlement. — 
Admiral  Kuper  arrives  with  a  squadron.- — Yokohama  harbour 
,  well  filled  with  foreign  men-of-war. — Shimadzu  Saburo's  report 
of  the  Richardson  episode  calls  forth  the  approval  of  the 
Mikado. — Clamour  of  ronins  at  Kioto  for  expulsion  of  for- 
eigners.— Satsuma  placed  in  charge  of  Go-ten- Yarna. — Colonel 
Xeale  receives  replies  from  his  government  to  his  dispatches  on 
the  subject  of  the  Richardson  murder. — The  Tycoon's  hurried 
departure  for  Kioto. — Colonel  Xeale  sends  in  his  noto  to  the 
Japanese  Ministers  for  Foreign  Affairs,  with  the  demands  of 
the  English  Government, — Extracts  from  the  note. — Twenty 
days  ultimatum  expand  into  many  weeks.- — Tycoon  arrives  at 
Kioto. — Intense  excitement  in  Kioto  and  Yokohama. — Many 
natives  leave  Yokohama. — The  American  Legation  in  YTedo 
burnt. — Ruse  by  which  the  U.  S.  Minister  was  induced  to  leave 
Yedo,  and  the  U.S.  Consul  to  quit  Kanagawa. — Japanese 
evidently  trying  to  carry  out  the  orders  from  Kioto. — Court 
deliberations  ;  and  appointment  of  a  day  for  the  expulsion  of 
foreigners  and  closing  of  Yokohama. — Intimation  from  the 
Governor  of  Kanagawa  to  the  consuls,  that  extra  precautions 
!>eing  necessary,  more  guards  would  be  employed  and  a  strong 
dctachnient  posted  on  the  Eastern  Hatoba.  — This  last  objected 
to. — In  spite  of  delays  negotiations  continue  and  the  Govern- 
ment agrees  to  pay  the  indemnity  demanded  of  them  by  the 
British  Government,  leaving  Satsuma  to  be  subsequently 
settled  with. — A  hitch. — Correspondence. — Satisfactory  settle- 
ment— Fresh  troubles. — Letter  from  (Jorojitt  Ogasawara  t<> 
the  foreign  Ministers  announcing  determination  of  the  Gov- 
ernment to  close  the  ports. — Reply  —The  letter — sent  under 
pressure.  The  Mikado  always  act'-cl  tl  rough  the  Tycoon  — Thu 
Tycoons  not  all  "  puppets."— The  C  overnment'ts  apology  to 
Great  Britain.— Assassination  of  Ane-no-Koji 186-200 


X  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

PAGE 

More  excitement. — The  Choshiu  forts  and  steamers  fire  upon 
foreign  vessels  in  the  Straits  of  Simonpseki — Details  of 
re]  risals  by  the  French,  Dutch  and  American  men-of-war. 
The  Japanese  navy  in  the  year  18<>3 207-21'.) 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

Fire  in  the  Oshiro,  Yedo,  and  destruction  of  the  Tycoon's  palace. 
— The  Tycoon  returns  to  Yedo  by  sea. — Unpleasant  episode  at 
Kanasawa. — Charge  brought  in  the  English  Consular  Court 
and  dismissed. — Changes  among  foreign  officials. — The  Yoko- 
hama contribution  to  the  Lancashire  Cotton  famine  relief 
fund. — Establishment  of  banks  in  Yokohama. — The  close  of 
the  Satsuma  episode-  Admiral  Kuper  to  proceed  to  Kago- 
shiina. — The  Gorojiu  now  urge  that  110  further  delay  should 
take  place. — Departure  of  squadron. — The  battle  of  Kago- 
shima. — The  proceedings  of  the  British  Admiral  misunder- 
stood by  Satsuma  officials. — Damage  suffered  by  Satsuma. — 
Effect  of  the  battle  on  the  clan. —  Payment  of  all  the  demands 
of  the  British  Government,  and  close  of  the  Richardson  episode. 
— Lieut.  Colonel  Xeale's  services  rewarded  by  the  Queen,  and 
acknowledged  by  the  public 220-238 


CHAPTER  XX. 

Change  of  theme. — •  Out  of  bounds.' — Treaty  limits. — Occasional 
transgressions. — A  trip  across  the  gulf  of  Yedo  in  search  of 
scenery  and  game. — First  effect  on  the  natives  on  seeing 
foreigners. — Difficulties. — Surmounted  — The  kind  hearts  of 
the  people  easily  won.-— Visit  of  officials.— The  Yakunin's 
melted. — Subsequent  civility  and  attention. — Return  to  settle- 
ment    2W-246 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

What  is  Japan  like  ? — All  who  visited  it  charmed  with  it. 
— The  Government  and  princes  condemned  but  the  country 
and  people  universally  approved  of — Preparations  made  by 
Government  for  the  reception  of  foreigners  at  opening  of  the 
port,  a  proof  of  the  intention  to  act  up  to  treaty  engagements. 
— The  Tycoon's  power  limited  as  ngainst  the  most  powerful 
flaimios. — The  court  nobles  join  the  disaffected  dahnios. — 
Their  influence  with  the  Mikado. — The  youth  of  the  Tycoon 
prevents  vigourous  action. — Endenvour  to  obey  the  Mikado 
to  the  letter  only. — Official  interference  to  business  between 
Japanese  and  f oi'eieners . — Silk  to  Yokohama  restricted  in 
quantity. — Silkworms  egjrs  sale  forbidden. —  General  Public 
meeting  on  the  subject.  —  Letter  to  the  Consuls. — Steps  taken 
by  the  Consular  board,  and  the  reply  from  the  Consuls  to  the 
merchants 24~-25.~> 


CONTENTS.  JH 

CHAPTER  XXII. 

PAEG 

Meetings  of  the  great  daimios  in  Yedo  and  Kioto. — Report  of 
one  of  them. — Rumour  of  the  confinement  of  the  Tycoon. — 
Ogasawara's  expedition  to  release  him.—  Ogasawara  advances 
to  Fushimi.  but  finding  the  rumour  to  be  untrue,  returns  to 
Osaka :  is  dismissed  from  the  Gorojiu.  and  ordered  to  be 
confined  in  the  Tycoon's  castle.  —Correspondence  between 
the  Tycoon's  Government  and  the  foreign  representatives. — 
The  French  Minister's  suggestions. — Distressing  news  from 
Osaka  of  the  assassination  of  merchants.  — Notices  posted  in 
Kioto  and  Osaka  forbidding  merchants  to  do  business  with 
foreigners.— Letter  from  the  Ministers  of  Foreign  Affairs  to 
Dr.  Winchester. — Amusements. — Bad  news  from  Nagasaki. 
— Murder  of  Lieut.  Camus. — Gorojiu  expresses  its  regret  to 
the  French  Minister.  -  Opening  of  the  English  Episcopal 
Church. — Another  branch  bank  established. — Effects  of  the 
presence  of  the  allied  squadron.  — Foreign  sailors  and  Japanese.  .256-266 

CHAPTER,  XXIII. 

Another  attempt  to  yield  obedience  to  Kioto. — U.S.  and  Dutch 
Ministers,  invited  to  meet  Gorojiu.  proceed  to  Yedo. — The 
interview. — Informed  that  foreigners  must  leave  Yokohama 
and  the  port  be  closed,  but  that  the  letter  sent  by  Ogasawaru 
was  retracted,  and  trade  with  Nagasaki  and  Hakodadi  per- 
mitted.— Translation  by  Mr.  Enslie  of  Japanese  official 
documents. — Proposal  of  Japanese  Government  to  erect  fort  at 
Beuten. — Not  permitted  by  foreign  officials. — Choshiu  and 
the  Bakufu. — Proposal  to  Mikado  that  he  head  the  army  for 
the  expulsion  of  foreigners. — Disgrace  of  Choshiu  and  the 
Court  nobles. — Flight  of  the  latter. — The  Kioto  palace  gates. 
— Suspicion  of  Choshiu's  ambition. — Appeal  on  behalf  of 
Choshiu. — The  clan's  attack  on  the  palace  — Destruction  of  a 
great  part  of  Kioto. — Government  proposes  another  embassy 
to  Europe. — Satisfactory  rumours,  unsatisfactory  facts. — 
Ronins — Japanese  order  ships  from  America  and  Europe.  -- 
Suicidal  order  of  Government  to  prevent  trade  in  Silkworm's 
seed. — State  of  parties  in  Japan. — Choshiu  expected  in  Yedo 
to  make  submission. — Palace  of  Tycoon  again  burnt. — Money 
plentiful  in  Yokohama. — The  Ichiboo  exchange. — The  naval 
force  in  harbour. — The  United  Service  Club. — Municipal 
matters. — The  Swiss  embassy's  exhibition. — Murder  of  a 
Portuguese  by  a  British  subject. — Recall  of  Moiis.  de 
Bellecourt 267-280 

CHAPTER  XXIV. 

Hopeful  dawn  of  1864  — Interview  between  British  Charge  and 
Japanese  officials. — Ominous  hints — Russian  Envoy  arrives  — 
Ratifications  exchanged. — Signature  of  Swiss  treaty. — Japa- 
nese Government  fulfils  promises  made  in  Europe  by  the 
fonner  Embassy  — Departure  of  new  Embassy  for  France  — 
Yokohama  personal  changes  — Liberality  but  want  of  public 
spirit  in  Eastern  communities — Public  Hospital — General 
salubrity  of  Yokohama. — Japanese  and  small-pox — Sanitary 
Committee —Trade. — The  Japanese  New  Year 281-2H2 


XII  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XXV. 

PAGE 

Life  in  Yokohama — Progress  o*  trade. — Yokohama  unfortunate 
in  Municipal  matters — Fire. — Sir  R.  Alcock's  return  to 
Japan.  —  Lieut.  Colonel  Neale's  departure — Scheme  for  irou 
floating  dock. — French  Hatoba  completed. — Attack  on  Mr: 
Suttou  of  Nagasaki. — Foreign  ministers  call  on  the  Tycoon's 
Government  to  destroy  the  Clioshiu  batteries  and  open  the 
Inland  Sea: — Communications  with  the  Government. — Peace 
policy  reported  as  prevalent  at  Kioto. — Satsunm  and  Silk. — 
Consular  changes. — Arrival  of  M.  Leon  Roches,  the  new 
French  Minister  — Sir  R.  Alcock  obtain's  promise  for  a 
recreation  ground. — Departure  of  M.  de  Bellecourt. — Arrival 
of  Conqueror  with  Royal  Marines,  and  Semiramis  with 
French  Fusiliers. — Return  of  Tycoon  to  Yedo. — Commercial. 
— Decided  improvement  of  relations  between  Japanese  and 
foreigners 293-302 

CHAPTER  XXVL 

Arrival  of  H.B.M.'s  XX  Regiment. — Ultimatum  respecting 
Shimon  oseki.— The  Tycoon's  difficulties.— Peace  dispatches 
from  Earl  Russell  arrive  too  late. — Japanese  visit  Europe  for 
education: — Return  of  Ito  Shiunske  and  Inouye  Bunda. — 
Bearers  of  a  letter  to  the  prince  of  Choshiu  from  the  foreign 
ministers. — Conveyed  to  their  province  on  board  H.M.S. 
Barossa  and  Cormorant. — 111  success. — The  ineffectual  appeal 
on  behalf  of  Choshiu  to  the  Mikado. — The  attack  on  the 
palace. — Owari  appointed  Commander-in-chief  to  punish  the 
clan. — Indignation  against  Choshiu  in  Yedo. — His  yashikis 
burnt. — Sudden  return  of  the  envoys. — 'I  heir  agreement  with 
France  not  ratified — Departure  of  expedition  against  Shimono- 
seki.— Friendly  intercourse  between  the  foreign  and  native 
soldiers. — The  battle  of  Shimonoseki — Details. — Peace  con- 
cluded.— The  indemnity. — Alternatives  proposed  by  foreigners 
and  rejected  by  Japanese  Government. — Sir  R.  Alcock 
ordered  home  to  explain  matters  to  the  Foreign  Office 303-314 

CHAPTER  XXVII. 

The  changes  that  have  happened  since  the  battle  of  Shimonoseki. 
— Effects  of  the  battles  of  Kagoshima  and  Shimonoseki  on  the 
clans  of  Satsumaand  Choshiu. — Bitterness  of  Choshiu  against 
the  Yedo  Government.  — The  bravery  and  patriotism  of  the 
clan. — Adoption  by  Satsuma  and  Choshiu  of  foreign  arms. 
— Desire  of  Tycoon  to  do  the  same,  but  unwillingness  of  many 
of  his  retainers  to  use  them. — Present  prejudice  of  fighting 
men  in  favour  of  the  sword.  — The  sword  and  the  rule  that  it 
should  not  be  unsheathed  except  to  shed  blood. — A  personal 
reminiscence.  — One  more  proof  of  the  deadly  character  of  the 
sword. — Excursions  of  foreigners 315-321 

CHAPTER.  XXVIII. 

Kamakura. — Description  and  history. — Yoritomo  its  founder. — 
Yoritomo's  descendants. — Hojo  Yoshitoki.— Recapitulation  of 
the  foregoing — Yoritomo's  successors,  and  end  of  the  dynasty. 
Kamakura  no  longer  the  Governmental  capital 322-330 


CONTENTS. 
CHAPTER  XXIX. 

PAGE 

Another  tragedy. — Attack  at  Kamakura  on  Major  Balchrin 
and  Lieut.  Bird. — Manner  of  the  attack. — Consternation 
throughout  the  settlement. — Determination. — The  funeral. 
— Justice. — The  assassins  caught  and  decapitated. — First 
doubts  of  foreigners  as  to  the  true  culprits  cleared  up. — 
Shimidzu  Seiji. — Proces  Verbal. — Sentence. — Public  exposure 
in  the  streets  of  Yokohama. — The  execution  ground. — The 
executioner. — The  prisoner's  demeanour. — His  anathema 
against  foreigners. — His  death  :  and  the  exhibition  of  his 
head  for  three  days. — Capture  and  decapitation  of  his 
miserable  accomplice. — Fatal  fracas  in  the  Yoshiwara. — A 
Frenchman  killed — but  without  malice  prepense 331-339 

CHAPTER  XXX. 

Proposal  to  establish  a  Chamber  of  Commerce. — Apparent  need 
of  such  an  institution.  — Interference  of  Japanese  officials  in 
every  transaction. — Visit  of  foreign  representatives  to  Yedo 
has  a  salutary  effect. — Yokohama  and  literary  institutions. — 
Municipal. — Good  feeling  between  the  Japanese  and  foreign 
troops. — Field  day  in  presence  of  high  functionaries  native  and 
foreign. — Another  incident. — Japanese  make  the  road  by 
Homoku  valley  and  Mississippi  bay. — The  Rifle  Range. — 
Improved  relations,  and  departure  of  Royal  Marines. — Sir  R; 
Alcock  appointed  ambassador  to  China. — Sir  Harry  Parkes  to 
succeed  him; — Report  of  determination  of  Tycoon  to  punish 
Choshiu,  and  of  the  latter  to  resist 340-347 

CHAPTER  XXXI. 

Evidences  of  Japanese  acceptance  of  a  progress  policy. — 
Incident  that  proved  it  to  the  author. — Proclamations  of  the 
Tycoon  before  starting  for  the  West. — General  proclamation. 
— Proclamation  to  theGorojiu. — The  Tycoon's  passage  through 
Kanagawa,  as  witnessed  by  foreigners. — Appeal  of  the  Tycoon 
for  supplies  to  defray  the  expenses  of  the  present  expedition. 
— Circumstances  showing  the  test  his  retainers  were  put  to  in 
their  sympathy  with  Choshiu. — Many  plead  sickness. — Matsu- 
daira  Idzu-no-Kami's  reply  and  its  effect. — Letter  from  a 
Colonel  of  Artillery  in  the  army  to  his  brother  in  Yedo. — 
Peril  of  Tycoon  en  nnitf. — Plot  for  his  assassinaton  at  Dzeze" 
discovered. — One  of  the  ringleaders  executed  in  Yedo 348-357 

CHAPTER  XXXII. 
Exclusively  Municipal 358-376 

CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

The  "Japan  Times "  started. — Chamber  of  Commerce. — Yoko- 
^ama  Rifle  Association  and  Tir  Rational, — Yokohama  enjoy- 
mente. — Ichiboo  Exchange. — Arrival  of  H.M. S.  "Princess 
Royal." — Departure  of  Royal  Marines, — H.  B.  M.  Supreme 
Court.— Close  of  the  year  1865., ,,...377-384 


XIV  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XXXV. 

PAGE 

Sir  Harry  Parkes,  and  his  practical  measures.— The  ratification 
of  the  treaties  the  '  sine  qua  non.' — Accord  between  foreign 
representatives. — Trade  benefits  by  the  general  accord. — Ex- 
port of  silkworm's  seed,  virtually  the  salvation  of  Italian  silk 
enterprise. — Squadron  ordered  to  Hiogo. — State  embarkation 
of  ministers. — Proceedings  at  Hiogo,  Osaka  and  Kioto. — Visit 
of  members  of  Gorojiu  to  the  squadron. — Occupation  of  the 
officers  of  the  Legations. — Ten  days  given  for  a  final  reply. — 
Excitement  at  Kioto. — Threats  against  the  Tycoon  and  the 
-Mikado. — Mikado  requests  that  the  squadron  will  leave  Hiogo. 
— Disgraces  two  members  of  Gorojiu. — The  foreign  represen- 
tatives remain  firm. — Letter  written  to  the  Mikado  by  the 
Tycoon  offering  to  resign,  fortunately  stopped. — In  its  stead, 
document  prepared  entreating  the  Mikado  to  give  his  sanction 
to  the  treaties. — The  Tycoon  sends  troops  to  Kioto. — Mikado 
still  unfavorable. — Tycoon  proceeds  to  Kioto  ;  orders  appre- 
hension of  daimio's  officers,  and  assembles  representatives  of 
daimios. — Excitement  excessive. — Foreign  Ministers  hourly 
informed  of  passing  events. — Still  firm — Crisis  at  hand. — 
Final  interview  between  the  Gorojiu,  and  high  officials  of  the 
Tycoon,  with  Hitotsubashi  at  their  head,  and  the  Mikado. — • 
Their  resolution. — Llitotsubashi's  action. — The  M  ikado  yields. 
— The  treaties  are  ratified.—  Instantaneous  effect. — Letter  of 
the  Satsuma  clan  to  the  Mikado,  protesting  against  the 
opening  of  Hiogo,  and  demanding  to  be  placed  in  van  of  the 
army  to  oppose  it 385-395 

CHAPTER  XXXVI. 

Affairs  in  Yokohama. — Arrival  of  the  Fuidyama. — Fire  in 
Yedo. — Schools. — Native  peculiarities. — Professor  Risley. — 
Many  useful  schemes  afloat. — General  progress 396-407 

CHAPTER  XXXVII, 

Proposal  for  a  public  garden. — Violent  death  of  a  French  sailor 
and  its  consequences. — English  and  Japanese  troops  parade 
together. — Military  arrivals  and  departures. — Death  of  Mr. 
John  Macdonald. — Clemency  towards  a  Japanese  soldier. — 
Government  permit  Japanese  subjects  to  visit  foreign  coun- 
tries. . 408-418 


EXPLANATIONS. 

THE  Mikado's  titles  are  numerous.  In  this  work  he  is 
generally  called  either  Mikado  or  Emperor. 

The  proper  title  of  the  Yedo  ruler  was  Shogun.  Though 
sometimes  using  this  title,  I  have  more  generally  refer- 
red to  him  by  that  always  formerly  used  by  foreigners — 
Tycoon. 

The  last  Tycoon  was  known  at  the  time  of  his  acces- 
sion as  HITOTSUBASHI  ;  afterwards  as  YOSHI-HISA  or 
YOSHI-NOBU.  Subsequently  as  KEixi-Sama;  and  his 
name  now  he  is  in  retirement,  is — ICHIDO. 

The  Kuge  were  nobles  of  the  Court  of  the  Mikado ; 
and  were  hereditarily  noble,  from  the  fact  of  their  blood 
relationship,  (however  distant),  to  the  Mikado. 

SHIMADZU  SABURO,  who  figures  largely  in  the  story  of 
foreign  intercourse  with  Japan,  is  spoken  of  at  different 
periods  under  different  names.  First  SHIMADZU  IDZUMI- 
NO-KAMI  ;  then  SHIMADZU  SABURO  ;  then  SHIMADZU  OSUMI- 
NO-KAMI;  then  SHIMADZU  HISAMITSZU,  by  which  he  is 
now  known.  From  1872  to  1876  he  occupied  the  posi- 
tion of  Sa-Daijin — Prime,  Minister  of  the  right;  the 
third  subject  in  the  realm. 

CHOSHIU,  in  the  following  pages,  is  named  in  several 
different  ways.  First  by  his  name  and  rank — MOWORI 
or  MORI  DAIZEN-NO-DAIBU  ;  then  as  the  Prince  of  Cho- 
shiu ;  the  prince  of  Nagato ;  or  simply  CHOSHIU,  NAGATO. 

Bakufu,  was  the  term  commonly  used  for  the  Shogun's 
Government. 


EEEATJu 
PA'QE  FOB  BEAD. 

16 Yedo,   Osaka,  Hiogo  and    Niigata  and  Hiogo  on  the 

Niigata  on  the  1st  Janna-     1st  January  1863,  and  for- 
ry  1863.  eigners  were  to  be  allowed 

to  reside  for  the  purposes 
of  trade  in  Yedo  from  the 
1st  January  1862,  and 
Osaka  from  the  1st  Jan- 
uary 1863. 

83  (9th  line  from  top)          twelve  fourteen. 

314  (3rd   „  „        )          $30,000  $500,000. 

S22  (Heading)  Chapter  VIII.  Chapter  XXVIII. 

386  (10th  line  from  high  officials  and  the         and  high  officials  of  the 
bottom.)  Tycoon.  Tycoon. 


YOUNG  JAPAN. 


PRELIMINARY  CHAPTEE. 

INTRODUCTORY. — JAPAN  AS  IT  APPEARS  TO  A  SUPERFICIAL 
OBSERVER  NOW. — VERY  DIFFERENT  TWENTY  ONE  YEARS  AGO. — 
WHERE  IS  THE  DIFFERENCE  ? — THE  IMPERIAL  DYNASTY. — 
JINMU  TENNO. — ANTOKU  TENNO. — COMMENCEMENT  OF  THE 
MODERN  HISTORY  OF  JAPAN. — THE  DUAL  SYSTEM  OF  GOVERN- 
MENT.— THE  EMPEROR'S  SUPREMACY  NEVER  QUESTIONED. 

THE  TYCOON,  SEI-I  TAI  SHOGUN. — YORITOMO. — KAMAKURA. — 
COMPLETE  ISOLATION  OF  THE  MIKADO ;  AND  GOVERNMENT  BY 

THE   MILITARY    CHIEF. EFFORTS  OF   MIKADO  TO  RECOVER    HIS 

AUTHORITY. — TEMPORARY     SUCCESS     OF     GODAIGO. — ASHIKAGA 

TAKA-UJI. OTA    NOBUNAGA. TAICO   SAMA.— IYEYAS'    FOUNDER 

i 

OF     THE     LAST     DYNASTY      OF     SHOGUNS. JAPAN      OPEN      TO 

FOREIGNERS  FROM    1542  TO    1637. FINALLY    CLOSED    TO  ALL 

BUT     THE     DUTCH     FACTORY     AT    NAGASAKI. THE'  KUGE,     OR 

COURT  NOBLES. — THE  DAIMIOS — KOKUSHIU,  FUDAI  AND 
TOZAMA. — HATAMOTOS. — THE  SAMURAI. — THE  COMMON  PEO- 
PLE.— THE  GOVERNMENT  AT  A  GLANCE. 

I  PROPOSE  to  write  of  YOUNG  JAPAN.  It  is  necessary, 
therefore,  that  I  should,  in  as  few  words  as  possible, 
give  my  readers  some  idea  of  the  Japan  of  anti- 
quity; that  they  may  clearly  understand  the  transition 
that  has  taken  place  the  course  of  which  I  am  about  to 
describe. 

VOL.   I  fl 


2  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

Travellers  who  should  bend  their  steps  hitherward  in 
this  year  of  grace  1879,  and  land  at  either  of  the  open 
ports  of  Yokohama,  Kobe  or  Nagasaki,  and  who  should 
look  only  at  the  surface  of  things,  without  going  out  of 
the  way  to  seek  and  to  find  the  people  and  places  which 
give  a  distinct  interest  to  the  country,  might  easily  pass 
on  without  emotion ;  and  truthfully  record  their  convic- 
tions in  the  statement,  that,  from  what  they  saw  of  Japan, 
it  was  a  quiet  hum-drum  region.  Very  little  movement. 
Very  little  business.  The  people  so  little  diverse  from 
others,  that  there  is  nothing  more  to  be  said  about  them. 

Yet  only  twenty-one  years  ago  it  was  far  otherwise. 

Then  anyone  who  arrived  here,  however  superficial  an 
observer  he  might  be,  found  everything  strange,  and  ev- 
ery human  being  he  met,  full  of  interest  and  attraction. 

Where  is  the  difference  ? 

Why  are  the  then  and  now  so  unlike  ? 

The  answer  is,  that,  at  that  time,  Japan  experienced  a 
new  birth. 

She  now  attains  her  majority  ! 

Then,  boasting  herself  as  one  of  the  most  ancient  Em- 
pires in  the  world,  with  an  Imperial  Dynasty  extending 
over  two  thousand  five  hundred  years,  she  was  for  the  first 
time  born  into  the  family  of  nations.  In  the  most 
literal  sense  may  she  have  been  said  previously  to  speak 
and  think  and  act  as  a  child  ;  but  now  she  is  of  age  she 
has  put  away  childish  things. 

Twenty  five  years  ago  the  knowledge  of  Japan  by  the 
outer  world,  was  little  indeed  ;  but  the  knowledge  of  the 
outer  world  by  Japan,  amounted  to  almost  nothing. 

The  acquaintance  that  has  since  spring  up  has  been  of 
a  very  intimate  character.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  as  this 
intimacy  ripens  it  may  prove  beneficial  to  all. 

The  Empire  of  Japan  claims  an  existence  of  twro 
thousand  five  hundred  and  thirty  nine  years,  during  which 


JINMU  TENNO.  3 

period  there  has  been  but  one  dynasty  of  imperial  rulers, 
whose  source  was  from  the  gods. 

The  first  mundane  emperor  was  JINMU  TENNO,  the  son 
of  TENSHIU  DAIJIN,  the  Sun  goddess.  The  sanctity  of 
this  celestial  descent  and  its  universal  acceptance  by  the 
people  has  been  throughout  all  ages  the  one  irrefragable 
pillar  that  has  supported,  and  still  continues  to  support, 
the  Imperial  House  ;  and,  amid  all  the  changing  scenes 
of  life — through  all  the  fierce  civil  contests  that  have 
blazed  in  the  land — not  once  has  any  ambitious  power- 
seeker  dared  to  put  forth  his  hand  to  appropriate  the 
supreme  office  to  himself.  Emperors  have  been  dethron- 
ed and  rivals  placed  in  their  seats,  but  never  once  has  it 
been  attempted  to  raise  any  to  the  dignity  who  were  not 
of  the  descent  of  JINMU  TENNO,  son  of  AMA  TEKASU 
ONGAMI,  the  benevolent  dispenser  of  light. 

JINMU  at  first  exercised  his  power  only  over  the  south- 
east portion  of  Kiushiu ;  but  that  island  being  over- 
run with  robbers  and  lawless  people,  he  formed 
the  resolution  to  bring  it  into  order ;  and  having 
accomplished  this  successfully,  he  determined  to  effect 
the  same  amelioration  over  the  whole  cluster  of  islands. 
Crossing  over  to  what  is  now  known  as  Aid,  the  adjoining 
province  to  Choshiu,  he  brought  the  whole  country  under 
his  sway  ;  then,  taking  up  his  residence  at  Kashiwa- 
bara  in  Yamato,  he  made  it  the  seat  of  his  government ; 
and  from  his  days  downwards  to  1868,  the  miako  or  metro- 
polis continued  to  be  in  that  province.  He  assumed  the 
title  of  Tenuo  or  Tenshi — Son  of  Heaven,  which  has  been 
preserved  from  that  day  to  this. 

For  more  than  eighteen  centuries  the  successors  of 
JINMU  both  reigned  and  ruled ;  but  in  the  reign  of 
ANTOKU  (A.D.  1181),  the  struggle  commenced  which 
ended  in  transferring  the  governing  power  to  a  lieutenant, 
who,  professing  to  receive  his  authority  from  the  Emperor, 


4  VOTING  JAPAN. 

kept  him  closely  immured  within  the  precincts  of  his 
residence  at  Kioto,  and  arbitrarily  governed  the  country 
from  a  capital  far  removed  from  the  old  time-honoured 
centre,  in  which  still  resided  the  true  nobility — the 
descendants,  and  the  branches,  of  the  imperial  family. 

It  is  at  this  time  that  the  modern  history  of  Japan 
commences. 

From  this  time  forward  that  dual  system  which  was 
such  a  puzzle  to  foreigners,  and  which  was  not  clearly 
understood  until  it  was  on  the  very  eve  of  overthrow,  was 
maintained. 

It  was  as  follows  : — 

The  Mikado,  Teimo,  heaven-born  Emperor,  was 
supreme. 

This  was  never  questioned,  and  never  lost  sight  of. 
He  was  always  the  fountain  of  honour ;  the  source  of 
authority.  But  practically  this  was  reduced  to  the 
delegation  of  power  to  one  individual,  who,  from  exercis- 
ing all  the  duties,  proudly  appropriated  to  himself  all, 
the  attributes,  of  sovereignty. 

This  was  the  chief  known  to  foreigners  as  the  Tycoon 
(tai  kun,  great  ruler).  His  real  title  was  Sei-i  Tai 
Shogun  (barbarian- controlling  generalissimo).  By  rights 
he  was  not  entitled  to  the  first  name  ;  and  it  is  probable 
that  he  only  obtained  it  accidentally  by  the  use  of  the  two 
words  in  conversation  between  Japanese  officials  and 
some  of  the  early  foreigners.  To  a  Japanese,  until  very 
recently,  his  country  was  the  universe  ;  its  sovereign  the 
great  ruler  ;  and  the  real  emperor  had  so  completely  sunk 
out  of  the  knowledge  of  the  people  that  the  only  ruler 
they  knew  was  the  Sei-i  Tai  Shogun  ;  of  whom  they 
might  speak  as  the  great  ruler,  and  .foreigners  might 
suppose  that  it  was  his  title. 

The  title  "  Shogun"  is  of  some  antiquity,  but  not  until 
the  year  1184  did  its  bearer  assume  sovereign  powers, 


YORITOMO  AND  THE  SHOGUNATE.  5 

YORITOMO  was  the  first  to  invest  it  with  this  importance. 
He  it  was,  who,  while  admitting  himself  to  be  a  vassal  of 
the  Mikado,  deprived  him  of  power  ;  and  who,  gathering 
all  the  great  military  leaders  around  him  at  Kamalmra, 
the  new  governmental  city  of  his  own  creation,  so 
cemented  his  strength  by  the  sagacious  rules  of  govern- 
ment he  established,  that  thenceforward  he  was  virtually 
to  all  intents  and  purposes  the  real  ruler  in  Japan.  It 
is  true  that  theoretically  the  sanction  of  the  Mikado  had 
to  be  obtained  to  all  that  was  done  by  the  Shogun  ;  and 
it  was  usually  given  as  a  matter  of  course  when  sought ; 
but  it  was  only  on  rare  or  very  special  occasions  that  it 
was  thought  necessary  to  seek  it. 

On  two  or  three  occasions,  the  Mikado  of  the  day  made 
a  fitful  effort  to  break  the  yoke,  but  always  unsuccess- 
fully ;  and  so  things  continued  for  seven  centuries.  It  has 
of  late  become  the  fashion  to  speak  of  the  Tycoon 
as  an  arch-usurper,  a  parvenu,  as  a  mere  vassal,  an 
arrogant  military  tyrant,  exercising  powers  he  did  not 
legally  possess,  and  assuming  titles  to  wrhich  he  had  no 
right. 

But  all  this  seems  really  absurd.  For  if  the  actual 
wielding  of  the  governing  power  during  seven  centuries 
does  not  justify  the  position  not  only  assumed  by  the 
Shoguns,  but  claimed  for  them  and  acknowledged  by  the 
people,  then  it  is  hard  to  say  when  parvenuism  ceases, 
or  when  the  title  of  usurper  may  be  set  aside. 

YORITOMO  established  the  dual  system ;  and  fondly 
hoped  lie  had  founded  a  dynasty.  This,  however,  proved 
fallacious.  His  two  immediate  successors  were  his 
descendants,  but  totally  lacking  his  ability,  we're  unable 
to  retain  his  power.  At  their  death  the  office  was 
transferred  to  a  scion  of  a  rival  family.  A  series  of 
minors  were  appointed,  each  of  whom  was  somehow  or 
other  disposed  of  before  attaining  manhood  ;  and  the 


6  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

government  was  administered  by  the  powerful  HOJO 
family,  who  played  an  important  part  in  the  history  of 
the  empire  from  A.D.  1219  to  1333,  when  the  emperor 
GODAIGO  made  a  vigorous  effort  to  break  the  thraldom  in 
which  he  was  held. 

It  was  unfortunate  for  him  that  he  had  no  military 
following  ;  and  he  had  also  no  money  or  means  of  raising 
it.  He  was  dependent  solely  on  the  provision  made  for 
him  by  the  government  of  Kamakura. 

He  found  some  powerful  friends,  however  ;  and  one  or 
two  of  them  are  to  this  day  mentioned  among  the  most 
honourable  names  recorded  in  Japanese  history.  At  one 
time  it  appeared  as  if  success  had  crowned  their  struggle  ; 
and  for  about  a  couple  of  years,  1333-5,  the  government 
was  carried  on  in  the  name  of  the  Emperor,  from  Kioto. 
One  of  those,  however,  who  had  been  the  most  prominent 
of  his  generals,  succeeded  in  having  the  title  of  Sei-i  Tai 
Shogun  conferred  upon  himself  ;  and  once  in  possession  of 
the  title,  he  proceeded  to  act  with  all  the  arbitrariness 
and  resolution  of  his  predecessors.  ASIIIKAGA  TAKA-UJI, 
thus  invested  with  power,  the  office  remained  in  his 
family  for  two  hundred  and  forty  years,  from  1335  to  1574, 
during  which  time  the  disputes  between  rival  chieftains 
ran  so  high  that  the  sword  was  never  at  rest ;  but  from 
one  end  of  the  Empire  to  the  other,  blood  flowed  like 
water. 

To  put  an  end  to  this  state  of  things  OTA  NOBUNAGA 
buckled  on  his  armour ;  and  after  a  brilliant  series  of 
victories,  in  which  he  was  mainly  assisted  by  HIDEYOSIII, 
he  brought  the  ASHIKAGA  dynasty  to  an  end,  and 
exercised  the  ruling  power  on  behalf  of  the  Mikado  from 
1574  to  1582.  During  this  period  there  was  no 
Shogun,  but  the  Mikado  was  still  kept  within  his  palace 
boundaries ;  sovereignty  being  administered  in  reality, 
though  not  in  name,  by  the  Ota  chief. 


TAICO  SAMA. — IYEYASU.  7 

At  his  death  TOWOTOMI  HIDEYOSHI  took  the  reins.  He 
was  of  humble  origin ;  but  having  entered  the  service  of 
NOBUNAGA  as  a  stable  boy,  rose  by  degrees,  until  he 
became  the  most  renowned  of  all  his  generals.  For 
sixteen  years  he  wielded  the  supreme  power ;  ap- 
propriating to  himself  the  title  of  TAICO,  or  great  man  ; 
and  he  is  now  generally  known  by  the  name  of  TAICO  Sama, 
and  spoken  of  by  all  classes  of  Japanese  as  the 
greatest  hero  in  the  annals  of  their  country. 

His  successor  was  TOKUGAWA  IYEYASU,  who  received 
the  title  of  Sei-i  Tai  Shogun  in  1604,  and  was  the  founder 
of  that  dynasty  which  lasted  until  1868,  when  it  was 
overthrown,  and  the  dual  government  was  closed  for 
ever,  by  the  events  which  I  have  undertaken  to  record. 

By  IYEYAS'  the  dual  government  was  perfected.  By 
him  was  formed  that  wondrous  system,  which,  creating  a 
host  of  military  chieftains  wielding  semi-royal  authority 
in  their  own  dominions,  made  of  each,  for  the  Shogun, 
a  bulwark  against  all  the  rest. 

A  system  of  espionage  was  also  established,  by  which 
every  act  of  every  chieftain  throughout  the  country,  was 
reported  to  the  Central  Government.  Yedo  was  made 
the  capital,  and  there  every  territorial  prince  large  and 
small,  was  obliged  to  reside  during  six  months  of  every 
year,  maintaining  in  the  city,  for  the  service  of  the 
Shogun,  a  number  of  armed  retainers,  ready  at  call,  to  do 
the  behests  of  the  Yedo  chief. 

From  the  year  1604  the  Mikado  became  of  less 
account  than  ever.  One  after  another  lived  and  died  at 
Kioto,  of  whom  all  that  can  bo  said  is,  that  their  names 
are  recorded,  and  their  line  was  preserved  unbroken ;  but  so 
utterly  useless  were  they  as  rulers,  that  their  very 
existence  was  unheard  of  by  many  of  the  common  people, 
and  doubted  by  more,  who  looked  upon  the  Shogun  as 
their  sole  sovereign. 


8  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

Japan  was  first  visited  by  Europeans  in  1542  or 
thereabouts.  A  Portuguese  named  MENDEZ  PINTO  has 
the  credit  of  its  discovery.  Such  was  the  cordiality  of 
his  reception,  that,  on  his  tale  being  heard  at  home,  many 
of  his  countrymen,  merchants  and  missionaries,  sought 
its  shores,  the  one  to  win  gold,  the  other  souls.  And 
great  success  rewarded  the  efforts  of  both. 

They  were  followed  by  Dutch  and  English  traders,  and 
by  Spanish  missionaries ;  and  for  a  while  all  were 
welcomed.  But  the  time  came  when  the  jealousies  and 
rivalries  of  the  foreigners  militated  against  themselves. 

NOBUNAGA  in  his  hatred  of  the  Buddhists, — whom  he 
made  every  effort  to  destroy,  and  thousands  of  whom 
he  caused  to  be  massacred  in  cold  blood, — encouraged  the 
missionaries,  whose  disciples  multiplied,  until  it  seemed 
that  the  whole  land  would  be  speedily  converted.  The 
result  was  that  they  became  arrogant  and  overbearing ; 
and  the  converts  so  regardless  of  native  authority,  that 
IYEYAS'  first,  and  finally  IYEMITZ',  the  third  of  the 
dynasty,  ordered  the  expulsion  of  the  missionaries,  and 
subsequently  of  all  foreigners.  In  1637,  the  country 
was  closed  against  them,  so  that  from  that  time  forward, 
with  the  exception  of  the  few  members  of  the  Dutch 
Factory,  not  one  was  found  in  the  whole  empire.  The 
Dutch  were  limited  to  the  little  islet  of  Deshima  at  Nagasaki, 
which  they  were  rarely  permitted  to  leave  at  all;  and 
even  on  the  particular  occasions,  few  and  far  between, 
when  they  did  obtain  permission  to  cross  the  boundary, 
it  was  only  under  the  closest  guard  and  supervision.  To 
them  came  one  ship  in  the  course  of  each  twelve- 
months ;  and  this  ship's  cargo  out  and  in,  with  those  of 
a  few  Chinese  junks,  represented  the  whole  of  the  foreign 
trade  of  Japan  during  two  centuries  and  a  quarter — i.e. 
from  the  year  1687  until  the  date  at  which  my  narrative 
commences. 


THE  BODY  POLITIC.  9 

Having  explained  the  exact  position  of  the  Mikado  and 
the  Shogun,  it  remains  to  speak  of  the  body  politic. 

The  nobles,  in  the  eyes  of  foreigners,  on  their  first 
arrival  here,  appeared  to  be  the  daimios — territorial 
princes  or  chieftains ;  but  although  these  possessed  all 
the  power  and  wealth,  they  were  not  the  true,  legitimate, 
nobility.  This  was  confined  to  the  Kuge — relatives, 
close  or  distant,  of  the  sovereign ;  who  all  resided  in,  or 
in  the  neighbourhood  of,  Kioto.  Some  were  members  of 
his  council;  some  occupied  posts  of  honour  and  nomi- 
nally of  authority ;  whilst  others  were  placed  in  positions 
of  great  eminence  in  connection  with  religion,  and  lorded 
it  over  the  sects  with  all  the  pride  of  the  proudest  of 
prelates  elsewhere.  But  there  were  others  who  were  poor 
and  obliged  to  earn  their  bread  by  the  labour  of  their 
hands  or  the  exercise  of  their  intellects,  or  by  their  accom- 
plishments and  graces ;  yet  even  these  were  noble,  and 
ranked  above  the  very  Shogun  himself. 

The  daimios  were  for  the  most  part  the  creation  of  the 
Shogunate;  their  nobility,  therefore,  was  not  even 
acknowledged  by  the  Kuge.  So  much  was  this  felt,  that 
the  proudest  of  them  were  wont  to  seek  office  conferring 
rank  from  the  Mikado;  and  were  prouder  of  such 
imperially-bestowed  dignities  than  of  all  other  honours. 

The  daimios  were  of  three  classes  : — Kokushiu,  Fudai, 
and  Tozama. 

The  Kokushiu  were  semi-independent  chieftains,  who, 
although  compelled  to  submit  to  IYEYAS',  were  sufficiently 
powerful  to  prevent  their  territorial  possessions  being 
alienated  or  disturbed ;  and  who  were  treated  by  IYEYAS' 
rather  as  equals  than  as  vassals.  He  insisted  on  their 
coming  to  Yedo  as  the  rest  of  the  daimios  did ;  but  it  was 
his  custom  to  go  to  Goten  Yama,  outside  the  city  limits, 
to  meet  and  welcome  them.  This  custom  was  continued 
during  the  lifetime  of  his  successor;  but  IYEMITZ', 


10  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

who  followed,  felt  himself  strong  enough  to  discontinue 
it,  being  disinclined  to  acknowledge  any  equality. 

The  Fudai  are  described  by  IYEYAS'  himself, — in 
his  "  Legacy,"  as  translated  by  Mr.  F.  J.  LOWDEB, 
formerly  of  H.  B.  M.'s  Consular  service,  but  now 
legal  adviser  to  the  Japanese  Customs, — as,  "those 
samurai  who  followed  me,  and  proffered  me  their 
fealty  before  the  overthrow  of  the  castle  of  Osaka,  in  the 
province  of  Sesshiu." 

The  Tozama  are  "those  who  returned  and  submitted 
to  me  after  its  downfall." 

To  the  Fudai  alone  were  entrusted  the  highest  offices 
of  state ;  the  others,  however  able,  being  excluded. 

IYEYAS'  further  decreed: — "Although  the  collected 
Fudai  are  numerous,  I  put  on  record  those  whom  I  brought 
from  my  ancient  seat,  Mikawa."  (Here  follow  the  names  of 
eighteen  daimios).  "  This  is  a  separate  class,  from  among 
the  male  issue  of  which  are  to  be  chosen  such  as  possess 
talent  and  ability,  and  entrusted  with  the  direction  of 
the  business  of  the  Shogun's  Government.  They  are 
denominated  '  Koshiu '  (or  Gorojiu) ;  and  even  though 
there  may  be  some  among  the  Tozarna  of  extraordinary 
ability,  it  is  not  permitted  to  appoint  them  to  this 
office." 

Again: — "The  Fudai-samurai,  great  and  small,  all 
have  shown  the  utmost  fidelity,  even  suffering  their 
bones  to  be  ground  to  powder,  and  their  flesh  chopped 
up  for  me.  In  what  way  soever  their  posterity  may 
offend, — for  anything  less  than  treason, — their  estate 
may  not  be  confiscated." 

The  revenues  of  the  daimios  varied  from  10,000  to 
1,000,000  koktis  of  rice  (of  the  value,  at  the  time  foreign 
intercourse  recommenced,  of  about  fifteen  shillings  a 
koku.)  Each  one  was  obliged  to  supply  a  certain  number  of 
fighting  men  for  the  service  of  the  Shogun,  in  proportion 


THE  SAMURAI.  11 

to  his  registered  income ;  and  they  took  precedence  also 
in  accordance  with  their  revenues. 

But  there  was  a  large  class  of  samurai,  called 
Hatamoto — supporters  of  the  flag;  who'  were  the  im- 
mediate retainers  of  the  Shogun.  Upon  these  devolved 
the  heaviest  duties,  military  and  civil,  in  carrying  out 
the  Government.  They  received  incomes  varying  from 
3,000  to  10,000  kokus,  and  had  to  furnish  their 
contingent  of  fighting  men  as  required. 

The  daimios,  hatarnotos,  and  their  retainers,  formed 
the  samurai,  or  military  caste.  They  were  deemed 
altogether  superior  to  all  other  classes,  and  possessed 
many  privileges.  IYEYAS'  thus  provides  for  them  :— 
"  The  samurai  are  the  masters  of  the  four  classes. 
Agriculturists,  artizans  and  merchants  may  not  behave 
in  a  rude  manner  to  samurai.  The  term  for  a  rude 
man  is  '  other-than-expected : '  and  a  samurai  is  not  to 
be  interfered  with  in  cutting  down  a  fellow  who  has 
behaved  to  him  in  a  manner  other  than  is  expected. 
The  samurai  are  grouped  into  direct  retainers,  secondary 
retainers  and  nobles  and  retainers  of  high  and  low 
grade ;  but  the  same  line  of  conduct  is  equally  allowable 
to  them  all  towards  an  '  other-than-expected  fellow.'  " 

The  samurai,  high  and  low,  were  the  two-sw'orded 
men,  of  whom  so  much  has  to  be  said  in  the  following 
pages.  All  the  progress  that  has  taken  place,  and  all 
the  opposition  to  it,  has  been  their  work ;  and  literally 
the  whole  interest  of  Japanese  history  centres  in  them. 

The  common  people  were  divided  into  agriculturists, 
artizans  and  merchants  ;  ranking  in  that  order.  Below 
these  were  actors  and  beggars ;  and  as  the  lowest  of 
all,  not  admitted  to  be  named  among  the  people,  and 
living  apart  as  a  race  separate  and  proscribed,  were  the 
yclas,  or  people  whose  trade  or  occupation  was  in  any 
way  connected  with  the  handling  of  skins  of  beasts. 


12  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

It  only  remains  to  mention  in  this  introductory  chapter, 
that  to  all  intents  and  purposes  the  following  was  the 
scheme  of  Government : — 

At  the  head  the  Shogun  (Tycoon). 

The  Gotairo,  or  Regent,  hereditary  in  the  family  of  the 
dainiio  Ii  KAMON-no-KAMi. 

The  Gorojiu,  or  Council  of  State,  which  really  held  the 
reins  of  government.  Usually  the  decisions  of  the 
Gorojiii  were  absolute ;  but  if  necessary  they  were  sub- 
mitted to  the  Shogun  or  Regent.  In  cases  of  extreme 
importance,  such  as  arose  after  the  making  of  the  foreign 
treaties,  a  Council  of  the  eighteen  great  daimios  was 
called  ;  and  the  result  was  communicated  to  the  Mikado 
by  the  Shogun's  representative,  resident  in  Kioto. 

Above  these  wras  the  DAIBI  or  Imperial  Court  at  Kioto. 
In  sublime  impotence,  but  with  undisputed  majesty,  the 
Mikado  reigned — the  most  helpless,  but  the  most  vene- 
rated, of  all  the  sovereigns  of  the  East. 


CHAPTER  I. 

THE  MAJORITY  OF  FOREIGN  INTERCOURSE  WITH  JAPAN. — 
ARRIVAL  OF  LORD  ELGIN  TO  MAKE  A  TREATY  FOR  ENGLAND. — 

COMMODORE  PERRY'S  U.  S.  TREATY. FOLLOWED  BY  OTHERS. — 

THE  TREATIES,  THOUGH  PEACEFULLY  OBTAINED,  EFFECTED  BY 
INTIMIDATION. — LORD  ELGIN'S  MISSION. — ARRIVAL  OF  MR.  AL- 
COCK,  H.  B.  M.  ENVOY. — TOZENJI. — KANAGAWA. — DISPUTE  BE- 
TWEEN JAPANESE  AND  FOREIGN  REPRESENTATIVES  AS  TO  SITE 
OF  THE  SETTLEMENT. — PRACTICALLY  SETTLED  BY  THE  MER- 
CHANTS.— YOKOHAMA,  OLD  AND  NEW. — RESPECTIVE  CAPABILI- 
TIES OF  THE  TWO  PORTS. 

OMNIA  MUTANTUR  !  The  changes  to  which  all  mundane 
things  are  subject,  and  which  Japan  has  so  long  and  so 
strenuously  resisted,  have  at  last  reached  her  islands 
and  proved  her  ainenahle  to  nature's  universal  law. 
"  Those  who  have  turned  the  world  upside  down  have 
come  hither  also,"  may  he  her  cry,  when  she  sees  the 
rapidity  with  which  old  things  are  passing  away,  and  her 
people  bestirring  themselves  to  compete  for  some  of  the 
prizes  held  out  to  enterprise  and  intelligence. 

The  intercourse  between  Japan  and  the  outer  world  has 
attained  its  majority.  It  is  over  twenty-one  years  since 
the  commercial  treaty  between  America  and  Japan, 
which  opened  the  way  for  subsequent  treaties  with  other 


14  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

foreign  nations,  was  signed.  Little  more  than  twenty- 
one  years  have  elapsed  since  H.  M.  S.  Furious,  in  com- 
mand of  Captain  SHERARD  OSBORN,  E.  N.,  bore  Lord 
ELGIN  to  Yedo  for  the  purpose  of  arranging  a  treaty  of 
amity,  commerce,  and  friendship  between  the  Queen  of 
Great  Britain  and  the  Emperor  of  Japan  ;  and  less  than 
twenty-one  years  have  passed  since  the  ratification  of  these 
treaties  was  exchanged  formally  in  Yedo.  Yet,  in  this 
short  period,  how  many  and  how  great  have  been  the 
changes.  Experience  has  been  gained  by  all  parties ; 
but  Japan  has  received  lessons  that  it  has  taken 
European  nations  centuries  to  acquire ;  and  the  anti- 
quated notions  with  which  the  people  were  imbued,  are  fast 
crumbling  to  dust  beneath  the  wands  of  science  and  of 
commerce. 

I  am  about  to  give  a  short  recapitulation  of  the 
course  of  events  in  Japan,  more  particularly  with 
regard  to  Yokohama  and  Yedo,  now  called  Tokio,  since 
the  signature  of  Mr.  HARRIS'S  and  Lord  ELGIN'S  American 
and  English  treaties  in  1858. 

The  first  treaty  between  America  and  Japan,  in  which 
Commodore  PERRY,  U.  S.  N.,  was  the  accredited  agent  of 
the  United  States'  government,  was  made  in  1854. 
Yokohama  was  the  place  wrhere  the  negociations  were 
carried  on,  and  this  alone  must  always  render  it  notable 
in  Japanese  history.  Commodore  PERRY'S  expedition 
was  composed  of  nine  men-of-war,  three  of  which  were 
steamers  and  six  sailing-ships.  These,  anchoring  in  line- 
of-battle  off  Yokohama,  preparations  were  made  by  the 
Japanese  for  the  reception  of  the  Commodore  and  the 
opening  of  the  conferences.  A  spacious  wooden  build- 
ing had  been  hastily  erected,  which  had  been  fitted  up 
with  every  regard  to  the  comfort  of  the  strangers.  Com- 
modore PERRY,  assuming  as  he  had  on  all  occasions  from 
his  first  arrival  off  Uraga  the  preceding  year,  a  high  and 


THE  EAELIER  TREATIES.  15 

aristocratic  tone,  claimed  the  treaty  not  as  a  concession 
but  as  a  right ;  and  after  many  objections  had  been  made, 
which  he  firmly  refused  to  attach  any  weight  to,  he  gain- 
ed his  point.  An  agreement  was  signed  by  which  the 
Japanese  were  bound  to  extend  kindness  and  assistance 
to  any  American  subjects  who  might  happen  to  be  ship- 
wrecked on  the  coast,  and  supply  provisions  to  any 
American  ships  that  might  require  them  ;  and  further  to 
open  the  ports  of  Shimoda,  Hakodadi,  and  Napha  in  the 
Loochoo  islands,  to  American  trade.  Commodore 
PERRY  had  only  gone  a  few  months,  when  Admiral 
STIRLING  appeared,  and  on  behalf  of  England  obtained  a 
similar  treaty.  Mr.  DONKER  CURTIUS  arranged  a  conven- 
tion ameliorating  the  condition  of  the  Dutch  at  Nagasaki  ; 
and,  in  1857,  Count  POUTIATINE  concluded  a  treaty  for 
Eussia.  But  all  these  were  but  preliminary.  A  fuller  com- 
mercial treaty  was  made  in  1858  between  Mr.  HARRIS,  as 
the  plenipotentiary  for  America,  and  the  Tycoon.  This 
was  quickly  followed  by  that  between  Great  Britain  and 
Japan  ;  and  a  little  later  by  the  treaties  with  France, 
Holland  and  Eussia.  By  these  treaties,  Kanagawa, 
Nagasaki  and  Hakodadi  were  to  be  opened  on  the  1st 
"July  1859  ;  and  Yedo,  Osaka,  Hiogo  and  Ni-i-gata  on  the 
1st  January,  1863. 

As  one*  effect  of  this  narrative  wrill  be,  to  show,  by  the 
progress  made  by  Japan  during  the  past  twenty-one 
years,  that  the  intercourse  with  foreign  nations  has  been 
beneficial  to  her,  perhaps  the  manner  in  which  the  treaties 
were  obtained  need  not  be  objected  to.  The  end  will 
be  held  to  justify  the  means.  The  decided  movements 
and  resolute  demeanour  of  each  of  the  diplomatists 
engaged  in  framing  the  treaties  with  the  Japanese,  were 
absolutely  requisite  in  dealing  with  the  proud  and 
unveracious  people  they  had  to  encounter,  and  no  treaties 
would  have  been  obtained  to  this  day  in  any  other  way. 


16  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

Commodore  PERRY  has  received  great  laudation  for  the 
manner  in  which  he  succeeded  in  obtaining  his  ends,  and 
for  the  treaty  he  made  with  Japan.  Yet  it  is  quite 
certain  that  if  theorists  and  humanitarians  are  supported 
in  their  principles,  he  was  altogether  wrong  in  "  riding  the 
high  horse  "  in  the  way  he  did,  from  his  arrival  to  pro- 
pose a  treaty  in  1853,  to  his  departure  with  a  treaty  in 
1854.  As  a  mere  matter  of  fact  he  undoubtedly  fulfilled 
the  objects  of  his  mission  ;  and  the  world  approves  of  the 
course  he  took.  Strictly  speaking,  however,  his  action 
in  visiting  the  gulf  of  Yedo,  against  the  law  of  the  land, 
and  choosing  his  own  anchorage  in  spite  of  the  remon- 
strances of  the  Japanese  government  officials,  was  most 
reprehensible.  If  a  Japanese  ship  should  attempt  to 
anchor  in  an  American  port  in  any  manner  or  place  in- 
consistent with  the  harbour  regulations,  very  short  work 
would  be  made  with  it.  Yet  we  read  in  the  pages  of  a 
professed  "  comrade  and  friend  "  of  the  Japanese,  who 
dedicates  his  book  to  their  searchers  after  knowledge  and 
truth  both  in  the  past  and  the  present,  "  with  fraternal 
regard :  " — 

"  Then  came  PEKKY,  the  moral  grandeur  of  whose 
peaceful  triumph  has  never  been  challenged  or  com- 
promised." 

And  the  same  writer  adds  :— 

"  The  United  States  introduced  Japan  to  the  world, 
though  her  opening  could  not  have  been  long  delayed. 
The  American,  TOWNSEND  HARRIS,  peer  and  successor  to 
PERRY,  by  his  dauntless  courage,  patience,  courtesy, 
gentleness,  firmness,  and  incorruptible  honesty,  won  for 
all  nations  treaties,  trade,  residence  and  commerce." 

I  leave  this  for  the  present  as  I  find  it.  Probably 
I  may  have  more  to  say  on  the  subject  in  a  later  chapter. 

That  Commodore  PERRY  and  Mr.  TOWNSEND  HARRIS 
concluded  their  treaties  peacefully  is  admitted.  But  in 


"PEACEFUL  TRIUMPH."  17 

both  cases  it  was  a  triumph  of  might  over  right.  The 
first  came  with  a  force  sufficient  to  overawe  the  gentle 
beings,  who  were  "  compelled  by  foreigners  for  the  sake 
of  their  cursed  dollars,  to  open  their  country ; "  and  it 
did  overawe  them.  The  second  attained  his  end,  by 
picturing  to  the  said  gentle  minds  the  terrors  to  be 
apprehended  from  an  English  and  French  fleet  recently 
victorious  in  China,  bearing  down  upon  Japan  with 
ambassadors  from  their  respective  sovereigns,  to  enforce 
a  treaty  from  Japan  as  they  had  done  in  China.  So 
much  for  the  "peaceful  triumph."  So  much  for  the 
"  gentleness,  firmness  and  incorruptible  honesty."  No ! 
Commodore  PBERY  himself  makes  this  manly  avowal : — 

"In  conducting  all  my  business  with  these  very 
sagacious  and  deceitful  people,  I  have  found  it  pro- 
fitable to  bring  to  my  aid  the  experience  gained  in 
former,  and  by  no  means  limited,  intercourse  with  the 
inhabitants  of  strange  lands,  civilised  and  barbarian ;  and 
this  experience  has  admonished  me,  that,  with  people  of 
forms,  it  is  necessary  either  to  set  all  ceremony  aside,  or  to 
out-Herod  Herod  in  assumed  personal  consequence  and 
ostentation." 

This  was  in  extenuation  of  his  having  refused  to 
anchor  at  Uraga  or  Kamakura,  both  of  which  were  urged 
by  the  Japanese,  and  his  insisting  on  conducting  his 
business  at  some  place  nearer  to  Yedo  than  either. 
He  carried  his  point,  and  Yokohama  became  the 
honoured  spot;  though  what  advantage  there  was  in 
Yokohama  over  Uraga  it  would  be  hard  to  tell ;  except 
that  it  marked  one,  to  the  side  of  the  "peaceful 
triumph. 

In  like  manner,  we  see  Lord  ELGIN'S  delightful  expe- 
rience, which  ended  in  "many  demonstrations  of  affection 
on  both  sides."  That  experience  "had  been  marked  by  an 
interest  and  novelty  not  to  be  surpassed,  and  by  a 
success,  in  a  political  point  of  view,  scarcely  to  have 

been  anticipated." 

VOL.  i  c 


18  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

Lord  ELGIN  had  written  home  from  China  his  oft- 
quoted  declamation  against  the  injustice  of  his  country- 
men against  Asiatics ;  and  yet  he  arrives  in  Japan,  and, 
like  PERKY,  immediately  sets  the  Japanese  Government 
at  defiance,  by  refusing  to  treat  with  them  any- 
where else  than  at  Yedo ;  persists  .in  going  there  in 
the  teetli  of  the  most  strenuous  opposition  on  the  part  of 
the  officials ;  and  having  come  so  far,  signifies  that  he 
has  come  to  make  a  treaty,  in  such  terms  that  the 
Government  see  plainly  enough  that  very  little  choice  is 
left  them. 

A  yacht  as  a  present  from  the  Queen  of  England  to 
the  Emperor  (Tycoon)  of  Japan  is  made  the  pretext  for 
his  visit  to  Yedo.  Mr.  OLYPHANT,  his  private  secretary, 
(whose  narrative  of  the  mission,  sanctioned  by  Lord 
ELGIN,  is  worthy  of  perusal  by  all  who  are  interested 
either  in  the  Celestial  Empire,  or  that  of  the  Pdsing  Sun), 
thus  writes : — 

"As  Lord  ELGIN  depended  chiefly  for  an  excuse  for 
proceeding  to  Yedo,  upon  the  necessity  for  delivering  the 
yacht,  if  possible,  to  the  Ernperor  himself,  he  assured 
the  Governor  (of  Nagasaki)  that  it  was  not  in  his  power 
to  part  with  the  yacht  except  at  the  capital." 

On  leaving  Nagasaki,  then, — after  a  stormy  passage, 
during  which  they  were  driven,  by  stress  of  weather,  to  take 
refuge  in  "a  slight  indenture  of  the  coast"  in  "the 
deep  unsurveyed  bay  of  Kagosima,"  they  reached 
Shimoda. 

Here  they  found  Mr.  HARRIS,  the  American  Consul- 
General,  whose  flag,  the  Stars  and  Stripes,  proudly 
waved  over  his  temple-residence  at  Kakisaki — a  village 
about  a  mile  and  a  half  from  a  town  of  Shimoda.  They 
were  immediately  visited  by  Mr.  HEUSKEN,  the  Dutch 
interpreter  and  secretary  of  Mr.  HARRIS,  who  brought 
Lord  ELGIN  "  an  offer  of  services  on  the  part  of  the 
American  Consul." 


HEBMIT   LIFE.  19 

Mr.  OLYPHANT  dilates  on  the  hermit-like  existence  led 
by  Mr.  HAKKIS  and  Mr.  HEUSKEN  in  this  "  retreat."  It 
must  undoubtedly  have  been  felt  to  be  so  by  themselves  ; 
for  not  even  the  society  of  the  few  (two  or  three) 
Americans  who  went  to,  and  for  a  time  located  them- 
selves at,  Shimoda,  could  have  made  it  anything  else. 
And  yet  there  must  have  been  in  it  much  to  relieve  the 
monotony.  The  country  to  which  they  had  come,  the 
people  among  whom  they  moved,  in  themselves  offered  a 
great  deal  of  most  interesting  employment  for  the  mind. 
There  is  a  vast  difference  between  being  so  placed  in 
Japan,  and  in  any  other  eastern  country;  and  in  the 
early  days  of  foreign  intercourse,  at  a  distance  from 
the  capital,  this  was  so  to  a  greater  extent  even  than 
now.  The  Japanese  are  by  nature  such  sociable  beings, 
that  those  willing  to  form  friendships  among  them  have 
no  difficulty  in  doing  so ;  and  as  the  life  of  the  nation 
twenty  one  years  ago  was  so  different  to  anything  known 
to  Europe  in  modern  times,  and  yet  possessed  so  much 
of  what  we  know  obtained  in  Europe  in  bygone  days — 
(the  days  of  romance — the  days  we  characterise  as  the 
'  good  old  times ' ) — there  was  novelty,  there  was  real  enjoy- 
ment, in  studying  it.  To  this  day  there  are  a  great  many 
foreigners  in  Japan,  who  are  content  to  spend  all  their 
time  among  Japanese,  and  to  whom  the  idea  of  "hermit 
life "  and  isolation  never  occurs ;  and  the  manner  in 
which  Mr.  HARRIS  laid  himself  out  to  obtain  the  friend- 
ship and  confidence  of  the  people  may  satisfy  us  that 
it  did  not  much  oppress  him.  As  yet  he  had  none  of  the 
difficulties  to  contemplate  that  afterwards  became  such 
a  strain  upon  foreign  diplomatists.  He  had  certain 
matters  of  some  importance  to  settle — such,  for  instance, 
as  the  right  of  his  countrymen  to  reside  for  purposes  of 
trade  at  Shimoda — but  these  were  triiles  light  as  air, 
and  gave  him  but  little  trouble. 


20  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

The  success  of  the  British  and  French  arms,  which 
resulted  in  the  Treaty  of  Tientsin,  materially  aided  him 
in  making  his  treaty.  By  representing  the  certainty 
of  the  ambassadors  of  these  two  nations  following  up 
their  high-handed  proceedings  in  China  with  similar 
action  in  Japan,  he  so  wrought  upon  the  fears  of  the 
Government  that  he  obtained  what  he  had  so  strenuously 
worked  for,  under  a  promise  to  use  his  best  influence  as 
a  mediator  between  the  two  mighty  powers  and  Japan, 
should  it  be  requisite.  Of  course  it  was  not  necessary. 

Mr.  OLYPHANT  dismisses  the  subject  of  Mr.  HARRIS'S 
treaty  in  a  few  words,  but  very  amusingly : — 

"  Mr.  HARRIS  had  only  recently  returned  from  Yedo, 
where  he  had  only  just  succeeded  in  negotiating  a  iriore 
favourable  treaty  with  the  Japanese  Government  than 
had  been  made  since  the  days  of  Captain  SARIS.  He 
had  passed  some  months  in  that  city,  during  which  time 
both  he  and  Mr.  DONKER  CURTIUS  had  been  engaged  in 
fruitless  efforts  to  induce  the  Government  to  accede  to 
their  terms.  In  1855,  the  latter  gentleman  had  con- 
cluded a  mercantile  arrangement,  by  which  certain  con- 
cessions were  allowed  to  foreigners  ;  but  the  cumbersome 
machinery  of  the  Geldkammer  was  still  retained,  and 
the  monopoly  of  the  trade  was  reserved  to  the  Japanese 
Government,  under  conditions  which  rendered  the  conces- 
sions worthless  to  nations  engaged  in  commerce  upon  en- 
lightened principles.  Mr.  HARRIS,  however,  was  deter- 
mined to  make  a  treaty  worthy  the  progressive  people 
whom  he  represented  ;  and  Mr.  DONKER  CURTIUS,  finding 
him  so  engaged,  repaired  to  Yedo,  determined  if  possible 
not  to  be  outdone.  It  so  happened  that  his  precautions 
were  unavailing. 

"  Finding  the  Japanese  cabinet  inexorable,  both  gentle- 
men left  in  despair, — Mr.  DONKER  CURTIUS  upon  a  long 
overland  journey  of  two  months  to  Nagasaki,  Mr.  HARRIS 
to  return  to  Simoda.  He  had  scarcely  reached  it, 
however,  before  the  Powhattan  arrived  wfth  intelligence 
of  the  Treaty  of  Tientsin.  Mr.  HARRIS  then  lost  not  a 
moment  in  himself  carrying  the  news  to  the  capital  ; 
and  while  Mr.  DONKER  CURTIUS  was  journeying  labori- 


LOED  ELGIN  AT  BHIMODA.  21 

ously  to  Nagasaki,  ignorant  of  the  great  events  that  had 
taken  place,  his  rival  had  signed  his  treaty,  and  was 
back  again  at  Simoda,  reposing  on  his  laurels." 

I  am  not  aware  whether  any  account  of  Mr.  HARRIS'S 
mode  of  passing  his  time  at  Shimoda  has  been  published. 
The  view  of  his  residence  here  given,  will  show  the 
beauty  of  its  surroundings.  It  .lies  about  a  mile  and  a 
half  or  a  little  more  from  the  town  of  Shimoda,  at  a 
village  called  Kaldsaki,  (Oyster  Point),  and  is  not  above 
five  minutes'  walk  from  the  beautiful  bay  of  Shimoda. 

But  to  return  to  Lord  ELGIN.     We  read : — 

"  The  day  following  our  arrival  at  Simoda,  Lord 
ELGIN  received  a  visit  from  the  Governor.  He  had 
learnt  that  we  proposed  going  up  the  Bay  of  Yedo,  and 
his  object  now  was  to  exert  all  his  powers  of  persuasion 
to  induce  Lord  ELGIN  to  forego  this  intention.  He 
brought  a  large  suite  on  board  with  him,  all  of  whom 
seemed  to  appreciate  an  English  luncheon.  I  was 
rather  startled  to  hear  one  of  them  refuse  Curasoa,  and 
ask  for  Maraschino  instead.  The  Governor  himself  was 
a  man  of  a  most  jovial  temperament.  He  indulged  in 
constant  chuckles,  and  rather  reminded  one  of  Mr. 
WELLER,  senior.  He  seemed  to  consider  everything  a 
capital  joke — even  Lord  ELGIN'S  positive  refusal  to 
comply  with  his  request  to  hand  over  the  yacht  at 
Simoda  and  remain  at  that  place.  He  used  every  pos- 
sible argument  to-  carry  his  point,  but  without  avail. 
He  said  he  dreaded  the  consequences  to  himself,  and 
chuckled  ;  still  more  did  he  dread  the  consequences  to 
us,  and  chuckled  again." 

The  British  Embassy  left  Shimoda  on  the  12th  of  Au- 
gust, having  on  board  Mr.  HEUSKEN,  who  had  been 
obligingly  lent  by  Mr.  HARRIS  to  Lord  ELGIN,  to  act  as  his 
Dutch  interpreter.  The  course  of  communication  be- 
tween the  English  and  Japanese,  was  then,  and  for  some 
time  afterwards,  somewhat  circuitous.  First  the  ut- 
terances of  the  ambassador  were  repeated  by  the  Dutch 
interpreter  to  the  Japanese  interpreter,  who  understood 
Dutch  but  no  other  foreign  language,  and  he  retrans- 


22  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

lated  it  into  Japanese  ;  and  vice  versa.  It  is  hardly  pos- 
sible that  with  this  double  nitration,  the  exact  sense  of 
the  original  can  have  been  always  conveyed,  but  it  was 
the  best  that  could  be  done  at  the  time,  and  on  the 
opening  of  the  ports,  until  the  student  interpreters,  sent 
out  by  England  and  France  to  acquaint  themselves 
with  the  language,  had  succeeded  in  mastering  it 
(which  they  did  in  a  remarkably  short  time,  considering 
its  difficulties),  Dutch  gentlemen  were  employed  by  both 
legations,  as  well  as  by  the  American. 

It  is  needless  to  follow  Lord  ELGIN  in  each  step  of  his 
progress.  With  the  great  object  steadily  kept  in  view,  of 
making  a  treaty  of  friendship  and  commerce,  he  did  as 
all  others  had  done.  He  deliberately  refused  to  observe  the 
laws  of  the  country  ;  pushed  on  to  Yedo ;  demanded  a 
residence  on  shore  for  himself  and  suite  ;  refused  to 
listen  to  the  voice  of  the  charmer,  who  represented  to 
him  the  [greater  safety  of  Yokohama  harbour,  and  its 
better  adaptability  for  the  desired  conference  ;  and  in  the 
easiest  and  "  most  delightful  "  manner,  gained  his  point. 

Three  scenes  described  by  Mr.  OLYPHANT  shall  be 
presented,  and  then  we  will  pass  on. 

H.  M.  S.  Furious,  with  Lord  ELGIN  on  board,  had 
managed  to  find  its  way  to  the  anchorage  off  Yedo,  "  not 
far  from  the  Japanese  fleet,  at  a  distance  of  about  three 
miles  from  the  shore,  and  five  from  the  capital  of  the 
empire."  Of  course  she  was  immediately  visited  by  a 
bevy  of  officials,  "the  burden  of  whose  song  wras,  'Go 
back  to  Kanagawa.' "  Lord  ELGIN,  instead  of  complying, 
sent  a  letter  on  shore  the  same  afternoon  to  the  Prime 
Minister,  detailing  the  object  of  his  visit — "  to  make  a 
treaty  and  to  present  the  yacht  to  the  Emperor ; "  and 
requesting  that  he  might  be  furnished  with  a  suitable 
residence  on  shore.  The  Japanese  fleet  spoken  of, 
"  consisted  of  two  large  square-rigged  ships,  a  pretty 


LORD  ELGIN'S  LANDING  IN  YEDO.  28 

little  paddle-wheel  steamer,  which  they  had  purchased 
from  the  Dutch  Government,  and  a  three  masted 
schooner." 

The  next  day  the  frigate  moved  to  an  anchorage  nearer 
the  shore,  and  about  noon-day  certain  dignitaries  went 
on  board.  "  They  were  plainly  dressed,  and  accom- 
panied by  the  usual  retinue.  *  *  *  Most  of  these 
were  engaged  during  the  whole  period  of  the  interview 
with  Lord  ELGIN,  in  reporting  in  note  books  precisely 
every  word  that  passed."  *  *  "  One  fellow  was 
actually  discovered  to  be  "  making  a  sketch  of  his 
Excellency." 

Next  day  but  one,  a  favourable  answer  was  received  to 
the  application  for  a  shore  residence,  and  on  the  17th  of 
August  they  landed. 

"On  the  morning  of  that  day"  writes  Mr.  Olyphant, 
"great  preparations  were  made,  in  order  that  the  event 
might  take  place  with  due  eclat.  It  had  been  arranged 
that  some  Japanese  officials  should  come  off  to  accompany 
his  Excellency  on  shore.  They  were  evidently  under 
the  impression  that  we  were  going  to  land  in  their  boats, 
and  were  not  a  little  startled  to  find  themselves  on  board 
the  Lee,  in  company  with  the  greater  part  of  the  squad- 
ron, all  in  full  dress,  and  with  thirteen  ships'  boats  in  tow, 
looking  spruce  and  gay,  with  their  neat  crews,  and  their 
ensigns  flying.  The  Retribution,  Furious,  and  yacht 
were  all  dressed  out ;  and  as  the  little  Lee  steamed  boldly 
on  past  the  forts,  and  threaded  her  way  among  the 
junks  beyond,  the  faces  of  our  Japanese  friends  elongated 
at  finding  our  entire  'indifference  to  shallow  water  and 
sand-banks. 

"  At  last  soundings  in  seven  feet  reminded  us  that  even 
the  Lee  had  a  bottom,  and  we  dropped  anchor  and  got 
into  our  boats.  As  we  did  so,  the  ships  thundered  forth 
a  salute,  the  band  of  the  Retribution,  in  a  paddle-box 
boat,  struck  up  '  Rule,  Britannia,'  the  rest  of  the  boats 
formed  in  procession,  Lord  ELGIN'S  barge  in  the  centre, 
between  four  paddle-box  boats,  each  with  a  brass  gun  in 
the  bow  ;  and  in  this  order  we  pulled  along  the  shore  for 
about  three  miles,  a  spectacle  such  as  Japanese  eyes  had 


24  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

never  before  witnessed,  and  the  novelty  of  which  induced 
numerous  boats  to  push  off  and  take  a  nearer  view  of  us 
as  we  moved  steadily  and  rapidly  along.  The  landing- 
place  was  about  the  centre  of  the  city,  which  is  here  pro- 
tected along  the  sea-face  by  green  batteries  :  the  grassy 
•  slopes,  dotted  with  handsome  trees,  would  rather  lead  us 
to  suppose  that  we  were  approaching  a  park  than  the 
most  populous  part  of  a  densely-crowded  city.  We 
turned  off  from  the  waters  of  the  bay  into  a  little  creek, 
spanned  by  a  bridge.  So  shallow,  however,  was  the 
water,  that  we  had  some  difficulty  in  forcing  even  the 
smaller  boats  to  the  foot  of  the  stairs  :  we  were  consoled 
for  the  inconvenience  by  being  informed  that  this  was  the 
landing-place  reserved  for  the  exclusive  use  of  the 
highest  officers  of  state." 

They  found  that  Count  Poutiatine  had  been  in  the 
capital  during  the  preceding  fortnight,  on  behalf  of  his 
Imperial  master,  but  the  Eussian  squadron  had  remained 
off  Kanagawa. 

I  have  dwelt  on  this  subject,  in  order  that  it  may  not 
be  forgotten,  that  in  obtaining  their  treaties,  all  of  the 
foreign  negociators — Commodore  PERRY,  Mr.  HARRIS  and 
Lord  ELGIN — set  the  laws  of  the  country  at  defiance  ; 
and,  under  the  appearance  of  friendship,  really  did 
obtain  their  ends  through  intimidation. 

The  Japanese  officials  saw  the  squadron  with  which 
Commodore  PERRY  visited  them  in  1853,  ominously 
enlarged,  when,  according  to  promise,  he  returned  in 
1854;  and,  backed  by  that  powerful  display  of  war- 
vessels,  they  found  that  with  all  the  external  suaviter  in 
modo,  the  determined  sailor-diplomatist  exercised  a  very 
decided  fortitcr  in  re.  His  words  were  sweeter  than 
honey ;  but  his  manner,  and  the  actual  presence  of  the 
ships,  carried  everything  before  them. 

Mr.  HARRIS  had  no  fleet  to  support  him.  He  adroitly, 
therefore,  made  use  of  the  fame  of  the  success  of  the 
British  and  French  victories  in  China ;  pointing  to  the 
certainty  of  the  diplomats  who  had  won  a  Treaty  at  the 


THE  TEEATY   SIGNED.  25 

point  of  the  bayonet  in  China,  coming  to  Japan  to  effect 
a  similar  object ;  and  promising  that  if  a  treaty  were 
made  with  America,  the  President  would  act  as  a 
mediator  in  case  of  trouble  arising  between  Japan  and 
the  two  powerful  western  nations. 

Lord  ELGIN  was  not  attended  by  a  powerful  squadron ; 
but  he  came  "with  the  sunshine  of  fame"  surrounding 
him ;  and  even  he,  one  of  the  most  just  and  conscien- 
tious of  England's  diplomatists,  did  not  scruple  to  use 
the  only  means  that  offered  any  likelihood  of  success. 

Having  said  so  much,  it  only  remains  to  be  told,  that, 
finding  or  fancying  they  could  not  help  themselves,  the 
Government  yielded  with  a  good  grace ;  and  made  the 
short  visit  of  the  English  Embassy  one  of  the  most 
complete  enjoyment. 

The  treaty  was   signed    on    the    26th    August    Mr. 

OLYPHANT  says : — "  The  signing  of  the  Treaty  was  a  most 
solemn  and  serious  operation,  inasmuch  as  there  were 
copies  made  in  Dutch,  Japanese,  and  English,  of  which 
each  were  in  triplicate,  and  each  required  the  signatures 
of  Lord  ELGIN  and  the  six  Commissioners,  besides  sundry 
additional  clauses  to  be  signed  separately ;  no  fewer  than 
eighty-four  signatures  had  to  be  appended.  Some  of  the 
Commissioners  were,  moreover,  very  particular  in  making 
pretty  signatures,  and  painted  away  at  the  hieroglyphics 
which  represented  their  names,  with  evident  care  and 
anxiety.  Others — friend  Higo,  for  instance — dashed 
away  with  his  brush,  perfectly  regardless  of  the  opinion 
which  people  in  England  might  form  of  his  handwriting. 
The  process  of  sealing,  unknown  to  them,  created  a  good 
deal  of  interest  and  curiosity;  and  afterwards,  when 
Lord  ELGIN  proposed  an  interchange  of  pens,  he  having 
purposely  made  use  of  six  different  ones,  the  Admiral 
appropriately  remarked,  that  he  gladly  availed  himself 
of  this  opportunity  of  inaugurating  the  interchange  of 
the  products  of  the  two  countries,  which  he  trusted 
might  ever  be  marked  with  that  interchange  of  good 
feeling  which  had  characterized  our  mutual  intercourse 
hitherto." 

VOL.    I  D 


26  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

And  now  all  having  been  happily  effected  within  four- 
teen days  of  Lord  ELGIN'S  arrival,  he  left  for  Shanghai 
on  the  26th  August. 

In  accordance  with  the  English  treaty,  Mr.  KUTHER- 
FORD  ALCOCK  arrived  in  Yedo,  in  H.  M.  S.  Sampson,  in 
June  1859,  duly  accredited  as  her  Britannic  Majesty's 
Envoy  Extraordinary,  Minister  plenipotentiary  and 
Consul-general.  Mr.  HARRIS,  the  U.  S.  Minister  had  re- 
mained in  Japan,  after  having  accomplished  his  treaty 
in  1858,  residing  principally  at  Shimoda,  a  port  near  the 
entrance  to  the  gulf  of  Yedo ;  but  he  also  arrived  at 
Yokohama  in  anticipation  of  the  opening  day. 

Mr.  ALCOCK,  having  secured  the  commodious  temple  of 
Tozenji  as  his  residence  and  legation  in  Yedo,  and  after 
exchanging  the.  ratifications  of  the  treaty  between  his 
country  and  Japan,  paid  a  visit  to  Kanagawa,  to  in- 
augurate the  opening  of  the  port  on  the  appointed  day. 

Kanagawa  itself  is  a  long  straggling  town,  skirting 
both  sides  of  the  famous  Tokaido  or  Eastern  sea  road 
that  runs  between  Yedo,  Osaka — the  central  com- 
mercial city  of  the  empire,  and  Kioto — the  metropolis. 
It  lies  at  the  head  of  a  fine  bay,  that  forms  a  deep 
indentation  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  gulf  of  Yedo,  and, 
measured  by  a  Japanese  standard,  has  long  had  a  con- 
siderable trade.  The  bay  on  the  Kanagawa  side,  how- 
ever, although  affording  a  sufficient  depth  of  water  for 
flat-bottomed  native  junks,  was  quite  unfit  even  for  the 
smaller  classes  of  foreign  ships,  and  this  circumstance 
led  to  the  ready  adoption  by  the  earliest  foreign  settlers 
of  a  site  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  bay,  off  which  the 
largest  ship  may  ride  in  perfect  safety  in  all  states  of  the 
tide  or  weather.  The  site  had  been  duly  prepared  for 
them  by  the  government :  but  its  selection  led  to  the  first 
passage  of  arms  between  the  Japanese  Government  and 
the  representatives  of  England  and  America.  The 


KANAGAWA  AND  YOKOHAMA.  27 

dispute  ended  in  a  sort  of  compromise,  inasmuch  as  the 
Government,  after  a  long  delay,  granted  a  site  on  the 
Kanagawa  side,  where  foreigners  might  purchase  as  much 
land  or  property  from  the  Japanese  owners  as  they  liked, 
and  the  foreign  consuls  were  provided  with  residences  ; 
but  virtually  the  Japanese  Government  triumphed,  as 
the  merchant-pioneers  of  commerce  could  not  wait  while 
diplomacy  was  discussing ;  and  the  houses,  godowns  and 
allotments  offered  by  the  Government  at  Yokohama  being 
readily  accepted  by  the  eager  traders,  local  interests 
were  quickly  established  that  rendered  it  useless  for  any 
ministers  to  hope  for  the  removal  of  the  settlement. 

In  point  of  fact,  Mr.  ALCOCK,  and  Mr.  HAERIS  who 
cordially  agreed  with  him,  were  right  politically  speaking, 
though  less  certainly  so  in  a  commercial  point  of  view. 
They  had  before  them  the  example  of  Desima  ;  and  when 
they  saw  the  locality  prepared  for  the  new  settlement, 
they  might  well  feel  alarm,  lest  their  countrymen  should 
be  subjected  to  an  imprisonment  similar  to  that  so  long 
and  patiently  endured  by  the  Dutch  factory  at  Nagasaki, 
and  which  it  had  been  the  particular  object  of  Com- 
modore PERKY  to  guard  against. 

In  the  treaty,  Kanagawa  is  mentioned  as  one  of  the 
ports  to  be  opened.  Yokohama  was  a  collection  of  huts, 
that  it  would  be  almost  bombastic  to  dignify  with  the 
name  of  a  fishing  village.  It  was  a  small  strip  of  hard 
ground  bounded  on  the  north  by  the  sea ;  on  the  south  by 
an  extensive  swamp  which  lay  between  it  and  a  fine  and 
well  cultivated  plain ;  on  the  west  by  a  creek,  tidal  for 
about  a  mile,  at  which  distance  from  its  sea  mouth  it  is 
separated  by  sluice-gates  from  the  fresh  water  stream 
above  ;  and  on  the  east  by  an  estuary  into  which  a  river 
that  flows  from  the  hills  empties  itself.  As  a  boundary 
for  the  foreign  settlement  a  canal  had  been  cut  through 
the  salt-water  swamp  in  its  rear,  uniting  the  creek  and 


28  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

the  estuary  ;  so  that  the  new  settlement  was  an  island 
from  which  there  were  but  two  exits  :  viz,  three  bridges 
(virtually  one  exit,  as  all  led  into  the  same  street,)  across 
the  creek  into  the  village  of  Hornura,  and  one  bridge 
across  the  eastern  estuary  leading  to  a  long  viaduct,  special- 
ly made  across  salt  marshes  to  Kanagawa — a  distance  of 
about  three  miles.  Each  of  the  bridges  on  the  west  was 
protected  by  a  gate,  shut  at  sunset,  and  by  a  guard- 
house, in  which  yakunins  were  always  on  duty  to  watch 
who  entered  or  left  the  settlement,  examine  the  luggage, 
bundles  or  parcels,  and  to  see  that  they  conveyed  nothing 
contraband  either  in  or  out.  On  the  hills  immediately 
at  the  back  of  Hornura,  and  at  the  end  of  the  paths  by 
which  they  were  most  naturally  reached  from  the  three 
bridges,  were  large  station-houses,  each  with  a  strong 
guard  of  soldiers ;  so  that,  on  that  side  there  was  great  pro- 
vision— the  Gorogiu  would  say,  for  foreigner's  protection ; 
but  foreign  ministers  might  reasonably  suspect,  for  inter- 
ference with  their  freedom  of  ingress  and  egress.  On  the 
eastern  side  also,  Kanagawa  could  not  be  reached  with- 
out passing  through  a  series  of  gates,  each  with  its  guard- 
's) house. 

It  was  not  to  be  wondered  at  therefore,  that  ministers 
should  view  with  something  like  suspicion,  if  not  alarm, 
the  act  of  the  Japanese  Government  in  removing  for- 
eigners to  a  distance  of  a  league  from  the  high  road, 
planting  their  settlement  on  such  a  spot,  isolating  it 
still  more  effectually  than  had  been  done  by  nature,  and 
guarding  it  so  strongly, — whilst  withal,  it  was  so  limited 
in  extent,  that  the  first  settlers  having  on  arrival, 
obtained  appropriations  of  land,  there  were  no  more 
allotments  to  be  got,  and  the  later  comers  had  to  buy  at 
enormous  prices  of  their  more  fortunate  fore-runners. 
On  the  Kanagawa  side  the  settlement  might  have  been 
extended  to  any  distance,  either  in  the  valleys  or  on  the 


ADVANTAGES  OF  YOKOHAMA.  29 

hills  enclosing  them;  and  thus  a  great  deal  of  land 
speculation  that  was  afterwards  loudly  complained  of 
might  have  been  avoided.  But  there  were  other 
considerations. 

At  Yokohama  the  Government  had  gone  to  a  vast 
expense  in  making  a  hatoba  or  landing  place,  composed 
of  two  granite-faced  jetties,  running  out  into  the  sea. 
Then  the  harbour  wras  undenially  good,  while  Kanagawa 
had  the  disadvantage  of  shoal  water  for  a  distance  of 
nearly  a  mile  from  the  shore.  A  few  houses  and 
godowns,  after  a  fashion,  had  been  prepared  for 
merchants  to  step  into  at  once,  whilst  at  Kanagawa  no 
preparation  was  made ;  and,  above  all,  the  very  fact  of 
the  space  being  so  limited  gave  to  those  who  accepted 
allotments  the  certainty  of  a  large  bonus  from  those  whom, 
they  knew  to  be  coming,  and  who  would  only  be  able  to 
get  location  by  purchase  from  the  original  allottees. 
Thus,  everything  was  against  the  foreign  ministers,  and 
in  favour  of  Yokohama  being  retained,  with  all  its 
disadvantages  of  enclosures  and  guard-houses. 


CHAPTEK  II. 

THE  BRITISH  MINISTER'S  FIRST  THREE  DIFFICULTIES — THE 
LOCALITY  OF  THE  SETTLEMENT. — ATTEMPTS  TO  PREVENT  FREE 

USE  OF  THE  TOKAIDO. — THE  CURRENCY  QUESTION. — MR. 
ALCOCK'S  OWN  RECORD  OF  THE  OPENING  DAY. — COMPLETENESS 
OF  ARRANGEMENTS  MADE  BY  GOVERNMENT. — THE  "RECEIPT 
OF  CUSTOM." — CURIO  STREET. — ATTEMPTED  PURCHASES. — DIS- 
APPOINTMENT AND  ITS  CAUSE. — INGENIOUS  IF  NOT  FAIR. RE- 
LATIVE VALUE  OF  GOLD  AND  SILVER. JAPANESE  WIDE-AWAKE 

BUT  MISTAKEN. — STLVTCR  AND  COPPER  COIN. — JAPANESE  FIRST 
YEAR'S  EXPERIENCE  OF  FOREIGNERS  NOT  ENCOURAGING. — 

EFFLUX  OF  GOLD. ASSIMILATION  OF  VALUES  TO  THOSE  OF 

OTHER  COUNTRIES. 

The  first  day  saw  the  British  Envoy-extraordinary 
saddled  with  "three  difficulties,"  as  he  pathetically 
records  in  his  "  Narrative  of  a  three  years  residence  in 
Japan,"  arising  out  of  the  preparations  the  Government 
had  made  for  the  opening  of  the  port.  The  first — the 
dispute  as  to  the  locality  of  the  settlement — I  have 
already  alluded  to ;  the  second — the  attempt  of  the 
government  to  prevent  free  use  of  the  Tokaido  even  to 
the  Ministers  and  Consuls,  between  Kaiiagawa  and 
Yedo ;  and  thirdly,  a  more  serious  and  lasting  difficulty 


\  THE  OUERENCY.  81 

than  either — the  alteration  of  the  native  currency  to  meet 
the  tenth  clause  in  the  Treaty,  which  ran  thus  :— 

"As  some  time  will  elapse  before  the  Japanese  will 
become  acquainted  with  the  value  of  foreign  coin,  the 
Japanese  Government  will  for  the  period  of  one  year  after 
the  opening  of  each  port,  furnish  British  subjects  with 
Japanese  coin  in  exchange  for  theirs,  equal  weight  being 
given,  and  no  discount  allowed  for  recoinage." 

The  second  difficulty  was  one  that  did  not  take  very 
long  to  get  over;  but  the  "Currency  question"  gave  an 
immensity  of  trouble  to  every  one  concerned.  To 
convey  an  exact  idea  of  the  shape  it  assumed  in  its  first 
first  practical  working  we  will  take  the  following  extract 
from  Sir  KUTHERFORD  ALCOCK'S  work : — 

"  I  went  on  shore  as  soon  as  the  Sampson  had  cast 
anchor  and  it  was  impossible  not  to  be  struck  with 
the  admirable  and  costly  structures  of  granite  which  the 
Japanese  had  so  rapidly  raised,  in  a  large  broad  pier 
running  far  into  the  bay,  and  a  long  flight  of  steps  at 
which  twenty  boats  might  land  their  passengers  or 
cargoes  at  the  same  time.  Immediately  in  front  was  a 
large  official-looking  building,  which  was  pointed  out  as 
the  Custom-house,  and  thither  we  proceeded  to  find 
some  of  the  officials  and  an  interpreter.  The  gate  gave 
entrance  into  a  court  yard,  paved  with  stones  from  the 
beach,  and  round  the  four  sides  were  ranges  of  offices, 
some  evidently  still  in  the  carpenters'  hands.  Every- 
where there  were  signs  of  a  rush  having  been  made  to 
get  into  some  sort  of  occupation  and  preparedness  by 
July  1st,  the  day  fixed  by  our  treaty  for  the  opening  of 
the  port.  In  one  of  the  large  apartments  we  found  two 
grave-looking  officials  seated  on  their  heels  at  the  '  receipt 
of  Custom,'  with  scales  and  weights  and  a  glittering 
heap  of  new  coins  : — the  currency  of  Japan,  we  were  told, 
ready  to  exchange,  according  to  treaty,  for  dollars. 
Immediately  some  of  the  party,  eager  to  be  possessed  of 
the  currency,  as  they  were  preparing  to  visit  the  shops, 
threw  their  dollars  into  the  empty  scale,  and  obtained 
for  each — two  fine-looking  coins  weight  for  weight, 
most  religiously  exact,  as  stipulated  in  the  treaty 
regulations !  The  government  seemed  to  have  exceeded 


82  YOUNG  JAPAN, 

all  expectation  in  their  preparations,  with  an  eagerness 
and  completeness  that  was  calculated  to  disarm  the 
most  suspicious  nature !  After  some  conversation  with 
two  of  the  governors  of  Foreign  Affairs,  as  to  a  location 
for  the  Consul  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  bay,  which 
they  declared  could  not  be  given,  we  turned  down  the 
Main  Street,  and  here  witnessed  a  scene  which  could 
hardly  have  been  enacted  any  where  but  in  Eussia, 
where  whole  villages  appeared  as  if  by  magic  at  the 
mandate  of  Poternkin,  to  greet  the  Empress  Catherine 
in  her  progress  through  her  dominions  with  evidence  of 
a  flourishing  and  populous  empire,  where  ten  days  be- 
fore there  was  only  a  desert.  Here,  out  of  a  marsh  by 
the  edge  of  a  deserted  bay,  a  wave  of  the  conjuror's  wand 
had  created  a  considerable  and  bustling  settlement  of 
Japanese  merchants.  X  large  wide  street  was  bordered 
on  both  sides  with  handsome  well-built  houses  of  timber 
and  mud  walls,  but  the  occupants  had  evidently  only  that 
very  morning  been  precipitated  in — their  goods  were 
still  for  the  greater  part  unpacked,  while  frantic  efforts 
were  being  made  by  servants  and  porters,  in  a  state  of 
deliquescence,  to  make  some  sort  of  show  of  the  saleable 
contents. 

"  Partly  to  encourage  such  devotion  to  our  interests, 
and  with  some  of  the  eagerness  with  which  children  of 
the  largest  growth  are  not  quite  exempt  from  feeling, — 
to  spend  money  already  in  the  pocket  for  that  purpose, 
various  articles  were  priced  by  some  of  the  juniors.  And 
nothing  could  seem  more  reasonable.  Six  itziboos  for 
that  charming  glove-box  !  what  can  be  cheaper  ?  three 
itziboos  to  the  dollar — why  that  is  only  two  dollars. 
Here  my  friend,  here  is  your  price  without  haggling — 
two  dollars. 

"  A  suspicious  look  and  shake  of  the  head,  with 
averted  palm,  created  a  momentary  pause  ;  until  it  was 
suggested  that,  as  at  Nagasaki,  they  could  only  receive 
•Japanese  money.  '  Ah,  all  right,  here  it  is,  bright  and 
fresh  from  the  mint,  two  for  the  dollar ;  therefore  two  of 
them — what  do  they  call  them  again  ? — two  of  them 
must  be  equal  to  three  itziboos — one  and  a  half  each 
— aye,  that  is  the  calculation.  Now  my  friend,  there  it 
is,  four  of  these  large  bright  coins  :  I  wish  I  could  re- 
member their  name  !  But  the  palm  turned  them  over, 


INGENIOUS,  IP  NOT  FABB.  88 

and  again  the  head  shook,  but  this  time  four  fingers  were 
held  up  three  times  in  rapid  succession.  '  Why,  what 
does  he  mean  ?  He  asked  six  itziboos,  which  I  have 
given,  and  now  he  wants  twelve.  What  an  extortionate 
Jew !'  This  evidently  required  the  aid  of  language  and 
an  interpreter, — and  with  such  help  the  explanation  was 
as  easy  as  it  was  unsatisfactory.  Each  of  the  bright 
coins  was,  indeed,  the  weight  of  one  and  a  half  itziboos 
but  they  bore  the  mint  mark  and  value  of  half  an  Itziboo  ! 
There  it  was,  clear  enough,  'ni-shi,'— half.  Oh  what  a 
fall  was  there  !  Had  the  bright  silver  been  turned  into 
the  shrivelled  leaves  of  the  sorcerer  they  could  not  have 
been  looked  upon  with  more  disgust  and  surprise.  There 
were  no  purchases  made  that  morning.  One  of  the 
party  who  had  been  the  most  eager  ruefully  remarking, 
'the  things  are  remarkably  pretty — but  to  clip  the 
dollar  of  two-thirds  of  its  value  will  make  them  rather 
dear  to  the  holders  of  that  coin  ! '  " 

This  was  the  first  attempt  of  the  Japanese  to  equalise 
their  coinage  to  that  brought  by  foreigners.  It  was  of 
course  quickly  upset — but  it  was  ingenious  if  not  fair. 
The  root  of  the  difficulty  lay  in  the  smallest  space  im- 
aginable, and  yet  the  settlement  of  the  "  currency  "  was 
for  years  unaccomplished.  The  Japanese  have  adopted 
for  themselves  for  centuries,  in  all  things,  standards 
quite  independent  and  frequently  the  very  reverse  of 
those  of  other  nations.  Thus  the  relative  value  of  gold 
and  silver  throughout  the  rest  of  the  world  being  about 
as  1  to  15,  (the  ounce  of  gold  in  England  for  instance 
being  equal  to  _£3.17.10|  and  the  ounce  of  silver  to 
5s.2d.),  in  Japan,  according  to  their  currency,  the  ounce 
of  silver  relatively  with  gold  when  converted  into  boos, 
taking  gold  at  the  English  standard,  was  about  as  1  to 
6 — the  ounce  of  silver  being  worth  13s.  6d. 

This  shews,  at  a  glance,  how  certain  it  was  that  con- 
fusion would  arise  if  the  tenth  clause  was  insisted  upon 
in  its  integrity.  It  must  be  clear  to  the  weakest  com- 
prehension that  unless  a  change  were  made  of  some  kind, 

VOL.    I  E 


84  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

every  grain  of  gold  foreigners  could  purchase  at  such 
rates  would  he  seized — would  he  fought  for — with  the 
prospect  of  turning  the  money  over  perhaps  a  dozen 
times  in  the  year,  and  the  certainty  of  a  profit  of  at  least 
150  per  cent  each  time. 

It  is  evident  that  the  Japanese  had  their  eyes  open 
when  they  allowed  the  obnoxious  clause  to  pass — for 
they  resisted  it  at  first,  declaring  that  their  silver 
coinage  had  a  nominal  value  far  beyond  its  intrinsic 
worth ;  and  that  American  or  any  other  foreign  money 
could  only  be  recognized  by  them  as  so  much  bullion. 
They  yielded,  however,  at  the  time ;  doubtless  with  a 
mental  reservation,  that,  in  the  interval  between  the 
making  of  the  treaties  and  their  ratification,  they  would 
find  means  to  protect  themselves ;  and  thus  when 
foreigners  demanded  the  exchange  of  their  dollars  for 
native  coin,  there  was  one  specially  prepared  for  them 
which  was  the  very  opposite  of  the  old  coinage.  The 
boo  represented  a  purchasing  power  far  beyond  its  value, 
the  new  coin  a  purchasing  power  far  below  its  intrinsic 
worth  in  silver.  If  the  original  currency  therefore  wrould 
not  suit  them,  neither  would  the  new  be  accepted  by 
foreigners.  It  was  not  a  part  of  the  genuine  currency  of 
the  country,  nor  did  it  bear  the  same  relative  value  as 
that  currency — and  it  was  too  much  to  expect  that  we 
should  accept  a  coin  intrinsically  worth  one  itziboo  and 
a  half  with  a  purchasing  power  of  half  a  boo  only. 
"  The  relative  value  between  their  silver  and  copper 
coinage  was  equally  disproportioned — and  when  Mr. 
ALCOCK  sawr  the  real  position  they  had  placed  themselves 
in  he  at  once  suggested,  what  nineteen  persons  out  of 
twenty  would  say  was  the  only  feasible  plan  of  meeting 
the  danger, — (for  it  was  a  danger  that  threatened  the 
entire  sweeping  away  of  their  gold  and  copper  coinage)— 
that  they  should  assimilate  their  values  to  those  of  other 


THE  CURRENCY.  35 

nations.  This  was  done  at  last  in  the  case  of  gold  and 
silver — but  not  before  such  an  export  of  gold  had  taken 
place,  as  led  to  an  amount  of  indignation  and  bitterness 
on  the  part  of  the  Japanese  such  as  it  will  take  years  to 
allay.  The  copper  currency  they  replaced  by  iron — but 
the  gold  was  bought  up  as  quickly  as  it  could  be  gathered 
together,  and  sent  out  of  the  country.  The  gold  kobang, 
which  at  the  opening  of  the  ports  was  thus  bought  for 
four  boos,  is  now  difficult  to  obtain ;  the  last  I  remember 
being  sold  realised  seven  dollars  each. 

During  the  first  year,  the  Japanese  Government  must 
indeed  have  felt  that  they  had  made  a  great  mistake  in 
entering  into  treaties  with  foreigners.  Trade  there  was 
comparatively  little,  except  in  this  bullion.  How  could 
it  be  otherwise?  The  coin  that  the  Government  had 
invented  for  foreigners  was  in  itself  calculated  to  prevent 
any  business  in  exports,  for  it  placed  the  boo  and  the 
dollar  on  a  par  of  value ;  and,  as  the  merchants  always 
expected  to  be  paid  in  native  coin,  for  silk  or  tea  that  had 
cost  the  native  dealer  1,000  boos,  (the  equivalent  of  333 
Mexican  dollars),  if  sold  to  foreigners  even  at  the  same 
price,  the  latter  having  to  change  their  dollars  weight  for 
weight,  and  getting  only  the  new  coin,  the  cost  to  them 
would  be  $1,000,  the  government  quietly  and  most 
philosophically  pocketing  the  difference. 

This  state  of  things  would  have  suited  their  book  very 
well.  It  would  have  worked  well  either  way.  It  would 
have  made  the  treaties  a  dead  letter,  by  rendering  trade 
impossible  ; — and  as  for  any  foreigners  who  might  conie 
to  the  country  as  mere  visitors,  they  would  give  to  the 
Government  a  profit  of  two  boos  on  every  one  they  spent. 

Ultimately  this  half  boo  was  set  aside ;  and  the 
Government  tried  various  expedients  to  save  themselves 
from  the  consequence  of  the  unequal  value  of  their  boo 
to  its  purchasing  power.  When  once  it  was  settled  that 


36  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

the  treaty  was  to  be  adhered  to  in  its  integrity,  and  that 
dollars  were  to  be  changed  for  their  weight  in  the  true 
currency,  the  evil  commenced  that  all  might  have 
foreseen;  and  instead  of  the  Government  making  the 
large  profit  they  had  calculated  upon — ''the  biter  was 
bit,"  and  many  foreigners  made  large  sums  by  exchanging 
their  dollars  for  boos,  purchasing  the  gold  coinage  at  its 
disproportionate  value,  shipping  it  to  China  and  there 
selling  it  at  its  true  bullion  value,  and  thus  making,  as 
we  have  above  said,  upwards  of  150  per  cent,  in  a  cash 
transaction  covering  only  a  month  or  six  weeks. 

The  Government  complained  loudly  of  the  efflux  of 
their  gold  ;  and  even  the  ministers  blamed  their  country- 
men for  thus  availing  themselves  of  the  terms  of  the 
treaty.  There  were  indeed  some  who  called  for  an 
amount  of  exchange  far  beyond  anything  that  could  be 
called  reasonable :  and  in  the  rush  and  scuffle  for  the 
coveted  traffic,  these,  having  demanded  the  fullest  amount 
even  they  had  the  face  to  demand  in  their  own  persons, 
supplemented  their  requirements  in  fictitious  names, 
such  as  themselves  shew  the  character  of  the  scramble. 
This  must  be  condemned :  but  that  the  traffic  should  be 
also  complained  of  by  ministers  simply  because  it  put 
the  Japanese  Government  to  its  wits'  end,  was  absurd. 
It  was  strictly  in  accordance  with  treaty.  The  Japanese 
yielded  to  the  clause,  evidently  knowing  quite  well  the 
consequences  to  themselves  if  the  currency  continued  as 
it  was  at  the  time ;  and  there  is  little  doubt  that  they 
yielded  only  after  seeing  a  way  to  meet  the  difficulty. 
That  way  was  to  rob  the  foreigners  without  any  com- 
punction by  their  new  half  boo.  Foreigners  did  not  see 
where  the  fun  lay  in  being  thus  muclted,  and  insisted  on 
the  treaties  being  adhered  to.  The  result  was  as  we 
have  seen.  The  tables  were  turned,  and  the  Japanese 
had  none  but  themselves  to  blame. 


TERMINATION  OF  WEIGHT  FOB  WEIGHT.  37 

A  great  monetary  revulsion  at  last  was  rendered 
compulsory,  and  the  precious  metals  were  assimilated  in 
value  to  that  of  the  outer  world. 

But  the  first  year  came  to  a  close,  and  the  weight  for 
weight  exchange  terminated  with  it. 


CHAPTER  III. 

DISTASTE  FOR  FOREIGN  INTERCOURSE. — THE  FIRST  ASSASSI- 
NATION.— THE  MISSION  OF  COUNT  MOURAVIEFF  AMOORSKY. — HIS 
LARGE  RETINUE. — THREE  RUSSIANS  MURDERED. — BUTCHERY. 
— NO  PREVIOUS  APPREHENSIONS  OF  SUCH  ATTACKS. — RUDENESS 
OF  SAMURAI. — APOLOGY. — PROBABLE  MOTIVES. — GREED  OF 

FOREIGNERS. — EFFECT    ON    THE    JAPANESE     MIND. ANOTHER 

COLD-BLOODED  MURDER. — DESTRUCTION  OF  THE  TYCOON'S 
PALACE  IN  YEDO. — GLOOMY  ASPECT  OF  AFFAIRS. — NOT  SHARED 
BY  ALL. — NOBLE  ASPIRATIONS  OF  THE  JAPANESE. 

We  gave  in  our  last  chapter  an  account  of  the  earliest 
difficulties  with  which  foreign  ministers  had  to  grapple. 
A  very  little  later  the  first  of  those  tragedies  occurred 
that  have  since  thrown  such  an  unpleasant  shadow  over 
the  intercourse  between  the  Japanese  and  foreigners. 

The  Russian  Governor  of  Siberia,  Count  MOURAVIEFF 
AMOORSKY,  arrived  in  the  gulf,  accompanied  by  a 
squadron  of  ten  vessels.  He  came  to  settle  as  to  the 
manner  in  which  Saglialien  should  be  jointly  occupied 
by  the  Russians  and  Japanese.  It  seems  a  small  thing 
for  so  great  a  minister,  and  with  so  great  a  display  of 
power,  to  come  upon;  but  Russia  understands  dealing 
with  Eastern  races  better  than  any  other  European 


THE  FIRST  ASSASSINATION.  89 

power  does,  and  she  finds  her  advantage  in  displaying 
her  strength  in  the  most  prominent  and  marked  manner. 
Thus,  on  taking  up  his  residence  at  the  temple  prepared 
for  him,  "  he  landed  with  a  guard  of  300  men  fully 
armed  and  equipped."  Yet  all  this  display  availed  little 
with  the  people ;  for  several  of  the  officers  of  the  Russian 
navy  were  openly  insulted,  and  at  last,  one  night,  the 
settlement  of  Yokohama  was  thrown  into  a  state  of 
excitement  by  the  intelligence  that  at  about  8  o'clock 
that  evening  three  Russians  had  been  murdered.  "  An 
officer,  with  a  sailor  and  the  steward  of  one  of  the  ships 
had  been  on  shore  to  buy  provisions,  and  on  their  way  to 
the  boat,  whilst  the  shops  were  still  open,  the  party  was 
set  upon  by  some  Japanese  and  hewn  down  with  the 
most  ghastly  wounds  that  could  be  inflicted."  We  have 
since  become  familiarized  with  the  mode  in  which  the 
Japanese  hack  and  cut  to  pieces  those  they  succeed  in 
bringing  down — and  the  description,  painfully  minute, 
as  given  by  Sir  RUTHERFORD  ALCOCK,  of  this  butchery,  has 
more  recently  been  again  and  again  repeated,  rendering 
it  needless  for  us  to  give  it  in  detail.  "  The  ruffians," 
says  Sir  RUTHERFORD,  were  not  content  with  simply 
killing,  but  must  have  taken  a  pleasure  in  cutting  to 
pieces."  On  a  later  occasion,  when  a  murder  was 
committed  apparently  by  several  assassins,  a  high 
Japanese  official  assured  the  British  minister  that  there 
was  only  one  assailant — remarking  that  whenever  a 
Japanese  kills  with  the  sword,  he  always  makes  several 
wounds,  however  effectual  the  first  may  have  been. 

There  does  not  seem  to  have  been  any  reason  for  this 
act  of  barbarity,  unless  it  be  found  in  the  fact  that  the 
Count  had  obtained  the  dismissal  of  some  yakunins  by 
complaining  of  insults  offered  to  Russian  officers  a  few 
days  previously. 

No  one  who  merely  resided  in  the  settlement  of  Yoko- 


40  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

ham  a  had  as  yet  thought  such  a  consummation  of  the 
evident  dislike  with  which  foreigners  were  regarded  hy 
the  yakimin  class,  would  he  at  all  likely.  Much  as  the 
currency  difficulty  had  operated  in  rendering  the  gulf 
between  foreigners  and  the  government  wider  and  wider, 
there  were  no  actual  apprehensions  of  such  a  tragedy. 
From  the  very  first,  the  rudeness  of  the  Yedo  people, 
more  particularly  the  two  sworded  race,  had  rendered 
any  appearance  in  the  streets  of  the  city,  whether  on 
horseback  or  on  foot,  extremely  disagreeable,  and  had 
called  forth  on  the  part  of  Sir  RUTHERFOKD  a  very  strong 
protest.  In  Yokohama,  however,  there  was  not  so  much 
of  this  ;  and  on  the  first  blush  of  the  thing  expectations 
ran  high  that  Count  MOURAVIEFF  would  take  a  very 
severe  and  ample  revenge.  But  no  vengeful  measures 
were  taken.  Certain  "high  officers"  went  on  board 
ship  and  made  "  an  apology  on  the  part  of  the  Govern- 
ment, engaging  to  discover  and  punish  the  offenders  by 
a  given  period.  It  was  further  stipulated  that  the 
Governor  of  Kanagawa  should  be  disgraced,  and  that 
they  should  build  a  mortuary  chapel  and  keep  a  guard 
in  perpetuity  on  the  spot.  It  was  very  characteristic 
that  this  last  condition  was  precisely  the  one  they  most 
resisted,  as  entailing  on  all  posterity  a  great  and  endless 
expense."  The  tomb  of  the  murdered  Russians  is  the 
most  prominent  object  in  the  foreign  burial  ground  to 
this  da}r. 

Among  other  motives  assigned  for  this  deed  was  one 
that  Prince  MITO,  having  been  exiled  by  the  Regent, 
Ii  KAMON-NO-KAMI,  "had  been  left  under  surveillance 
chafing  under  the  loss  of  power  and  the  failure  of  his 
projects.  Having  yet  a  large  body  of  officers  and 
retainers  devoted  to  him  as  their  feudal  chief,  it  was 
supposed  he  had  now  taken  this  means  of  bringing  the 
existing  Government  and  its  real  chief,  the  Regent,  into 


VISIBLE  CAUSES  OF  ANIMOSITY.  41 

collision  with  a  foreign  power,  hoping  in  the  confusion  to 
recover  his  position,  and  perhaps  seize  upon  the  reins  of 
power  as  Tycoon." 

The  causes  most  visible  on  the  surface  in  Yokohama, 
for  the  animosity  with  which  officials  regarded  foreigners, 
were  connected  with  the  efflux  of  gold,  as  alluded  to  in  a 
previous  chapter. 

A  perfect  frenzy  took  possession  of  the  merchants,  and 
little  else  was  thought  worth  attention  than  the  conver- 
sion of  dollars  into  boos,  and  boos  into  golden  kobangs. 
A  great  deal  of  indignation  was  exhibited  by  some  of  the 
foreign  merchants  at  the  manifest  partiality  with  which 
the  exchanges  were  made  by  the  Custom  house  officers, 
and  led  to  the  belief  that  they  had  been  initiated  into  the 
secret  of  allaying  the  irritability  of  an  itching  palm. 
Complaints  of  their  partiality  were  both  loud  and  vehe- 
ment ;  and  they  professed  to  be  equally  indignant  with 
the  insatiable  avarice  of  crafty  foreigners,  who  seemed 
in  a  fair  way  to  drain  the  country  of  its  gold.  Strongly 
does  the  state  of  things  bring  to  mind  poor  TOM  HOOD'S 
apostrophe  to  what  Burns  calls  the  "  yellow  dirt  "  : — 

"Gold,  Gold,  Gold,  Gold! 
'  Bright  and  yellow,  hard  and  cold : 
'  Molten,  graven,  hammered,  rolled, 
'  Hoarded,  bartered,  bought  and  sold — 
'  Stolen,  borrowed,  squandered,  doled — 
'  Spurned  by  the  young  but  hugged  by  the  old 
'  To  the  very  verge  of  the  churchyard  mould  ! 
'  Price  of  many  a  crime  untold — 

"Gold,  Gold,  Gold,  Gold!" 

The  extent  to  which  this  passion  was  carried  may  be 
judged  by  a  fact  recorded  by  Sir  EUTHEEFORD,  that  an 
American  frigate  coming  into  port,  one  officer  resigned 
his  commission  and  instantly  freighted  a  ship  and  started 
a  firm ;  and  nearly  every  other  officer  in  the  ship,  finding 
by  the  favour  of  the  Custom  house  an  unlimited  supply 

VOL.  I  E 


42  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

of  itziboos,  as  they  were  about  to  take  the  embassy  over 
to  America, — entered  largely  into  profitable  operations — 
for  converting  silver  into  gold !  " 

Again  drawing  on  Sir  RUTHERFORD,  I  quote  some  of 
his  remarks  on  the  subject,  which  bear  upon  events  that 
developed  themselves  long  afterwards. 

"It  would  be  difficult  to  estimate  how  much,  and  how 
disastrous,  was  the  influence  these  unfortunate  specula- 
tions and  bickerings  exercised  on  the  Japanese  mind. 
The  exchange  of  itziboos  ( intended  to  foster  legitimate 
trade,  but'  systematically,  and  perseveringly,  devoted  to 
the  buying  up  of  their  gold  coinage,  which  was  daily 
shipped  off  in  large  quantities,  to  their  despair),  became 
at  last,  their  one  absorbing  thought.  There  can  be  no 
doubt  it  tended  much  to  excite  feelings  of  hostility,  and 
to  array  all  their  prejudices  against  the  foreigner,  his 
trade,  and  all  that  belonged  to  him,  or  was  connected 
with  his  presence  in  the  country.  It  equally  certainly 
and  seriously  warped  their  better  judgment,  in  regard  to 
the  possible  benefits  of  foreign  commerce.  It  was  about 
this  time  they  first  began  to  exhibit  a  desire,  which  soon 
ripened  into  a  distinct  proposition,  to  defer  the  opening 
of  any  more  ports  for  a  term  of  years ;  and  even  in  the 
interval,  to  limit  the  exports  from  those  already  opened. 
Many  were  the  discussions  both  viva  race  and  on  paper, 
to  which  those  reiterated  attempts  to  nullify  the  treaties 
led ;  one  result  of  which  was  to  give  a  consider- 
able insight  into  their  system  of  political  economy 
and  ethics." 

The  excitement  that  followed  the  massacre  of  the  three 
Russians  was  hardly  allayed,  when  Yokohama  witnessed 
another  cold-blooded  murder.  The  Chinese  servant  of 
Mr.  LOUREIRO,  vice-Consul  for  France,  was  cut  down  by 
a  man  with  a  sword,  in  the  middle  of  the  day,  near  the 
house  of  his  master.  Until  the  end  of  1866  nothing  was 
heard  of  the  culprit  or  the  motives  for  the  crime.  In  that 
year,  however,  the  Japanese  officials  gave  out  that  he  had 
been  taken  on  another  charge,  and  had  confessed  that  he 
was  the  murderer  of  the  Chinaman — his  reason  being 


A  HOPEFUL  REPLY.  43 

that  he  received  an  insult  from  a  foreigner,  such  as  a 
Japanese  wearer  of  two  swords  could  not  brook;  and 
some  time  afterwards  taking  the  Chinaman,  who  wore  a 
kind  of  European  costume,  for  the  aggressor,  he  drew  his 
sword  and  cut  him  down.  The  murderer  was  beheaded 
within  the  enclosure  of  the  Tobe  in  1867. 

This  murder  was  committed  early  in  November.  A 
few  days  afterwards  the  Tycoon's  palace  at  Yedo  was 
burnt  to  the  ground.  Whether  the  event  had  any- 
thing to  do  with  foreigners  was  doubtful.  Indeed  it  is 
not  necessary  to  raise  the  question,  as  the  Ume  of  the 
year  was  just  that  in  which  fires  are  affairs  of  every  day 
occurrence  in  Yedo.  Things  generally  began  to  look  very 
gloomy,  and  as  the  new  year  approached  they  did  not 
show  any  inclination  to  mend. 

A  friend,  whose  note-book  has  been  placed  at  my  dis- 
posal, gives  me  an  incident  he  has  therein  recorded,  which 
shows  that  amid  the  ominous  appearance  of  things,  there 
were  some  among  the  Japanese  who  already  looked  hope- 
fully to  the  future. 

"  I  asked  a  Japanese  who  was  making  rapid  progress 
with  the  English  language  as  a  student  interpreter,  what 
he  thought  of  it  ?  He  replied — '  It  is  the  language  of 
civilization,  and  all  Japanese  will  learn  it.'  And  then 
as  if  a  good  idea  had  struck  him,  he  laid  hold  of  a  bottle 
that  was  on  the  table,  the  cork  of  which  was  only  just 
sufficiently  in  the  neck  to  prevent  it  from  falling  out,  so 
that  there  was  a  good  inch  of  the  cork  visible.  Placing 
his  hand  on  the  top  of  the  cork  he  said — '  To  day 
England  is  here,' — and  then  putting  his  hand  about  a 
couple  of  inches  from  the  bottom  he  added  '  and  Japan 
is  here.  In  ten  years  time  England  will  still  be  at  the 
top,  but,'  placing  his  hand  at  the  bottom  of  the  cork 
where  it  entered  the  neck  of  the  bottle,  '  Japan  will  be 
here.'" 


44  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

'Twas  a  noble  confidence  in  the  adaptability  of  his 
country  to  take  its  place  among  the  great  nations,  and 
certainly  a  very  happily  illustrated  ambition.  The  ten 
years  are  long  past,  and  Japan  is  not  yet  in  the  position 
he  prophesied  for  her :  but  she  has  been  making  more 
rapid  progress  than  ever  did  nation  before — and  probably 
before  many  years  are  sped  we  may  see  his  dream  much 
further  advanced  towards  realization. 


CHAPTER  V. 

MORE  DISASTERS. — GREAT  FIRE  IN  YOKOHAMA. — EARTH- 
QUAKE.— MURDER  OF  MR.  ALCOCX'S  INTERPRETER  DANKITCHI. 
—DEMAND  AMONG  JAPANESE  FOR  FIREARMS. — DESTRUCTION 
OF  FRENCH  LEGATION  BY  FIRE. — PLEASANT  RUMOURS  AND 
PROSPECT. — TWO  DUTCH  CAPTAINS  CUT  DOWN. — CROWNING 
CATASTROPHE. — THE  ASSASSINATION  OF  THE  REGENT. 

DISASTERS  followed  one  another  so  rapidly,  in  the  early 
clays  of  the  settlement,  as  to  cause  much  anxiety  among 
foreigners  as  to  the  influences  that  were  working  against 
them. 

Only  six  months  had  elapsed,  when,  to  the  acts  of  bar- 
barism and  hatred  recorded  in  the  last  chapter,  there  was 
to  be  added  a  misfortune  that  told  very  severely  on  some 
of  the  young  mercantile  houses  who  had  established  here. 
On  the  5th  of  January  1860,  a  fire  broke  out  in  the  foreign 
quarter,  which  destroyed  a  large  portion  of  it,  and  ex- 
tended itself  to  the  native  town.  The  Governor  of  Kana- 
gawa  and  his  officers,  with  the  organised  native  fire  bri- 
gade, wrought  with  wonderful  energy,  and  saved  much 
property;  protecting  it  carefully,  and  exerting  themselves 
nobly  to  stop  the  conflagration.  Whilst  the  fire  was 
raging  a  boat  arrived  with  seventeen  persons,  including 


46  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

the  captain,  his  wife  and  child,  of  a  ship  that  had  been 
wrecked,  who  were  lighted  to  the  settlement  by  the  glare 
from  the  flames.  They  had  been  eight  days  and  nights 
in  the  boat,  which  was  undecked.  The  severest  shock 
of  an  earthquake  that  had  up  to  that  time  been  ex- 
perienced followed  in  a  few  days  ;  and  before  the  end  of 
the  month  ^another  murderous  tragedy  was  enacted,  the 
victim  being  a  Japanese,  named  Dankitchi,  who  having 
been  years  before  shipwrecked  on  a  foreign  shore,  Ame- 
rica, had  returned  to  his  country  the  moment  he  could 
do  so  under  the  protection  of  a  Treaty  Power,  on  the 
opening  of  the  ports.  He  was  employed  as  an  interpre- 
ter at  the  English  legation  by  Mr.  ALCOCK,  who  had 
long  feared  that  the  animosity  evidently  existing  against 
him  among  his  countrymen  would  inevitably  bring 
him  to  grief.  He  had  received  distinct  warning  of 
the  hostility  entertained  towards  him,  and  in  spite  of 
this,  his  overweening  manner  was  everything  that  was 
calculated  to  inspire  in  the  breasts  of  his  countrymen 
hatred  and  contempt.  He  was  standing  close  to  the 
Legation  flagstaff  in  Yedo,  in  the  open  day,  with  women 
and  children  close  to  him,  when  "  one  or  two  men  stole 
stealthily  down  behind  where  he  was,  and  a  short  sword 
was  buried  to  the  hilt  in  his  body,  transfixing  him  as  he 
stood.  He  staggered  a  few  paces  towards  the  porter  at 
the  gate,  who  drew  the  sword  out  from  his  back,  and 
there  he  fell  bathed  in  his  blood." 

Before  this  there  had  arisen  in  Yokohama  a  great 
demand  among  Japanese  for  fire-arms,  and  numerous 
reports  led  to  the  assumption  that  there  was  something 
hostile  to  foreigners  in  the  wind.  Sir  BUTHERFOKD 
declares  himself  as  satisfied  that  Government  knew  that 
the  blow  was  about  to  descend  upon  DANKITCHI,  for  a 
Governor  of  Foreign  Affairs,  a  few  days  previously,  had 
spent  much  time  in  denouncing  him  to  Mr.  EUSDEN,  the 


FIRE  AT  THE  FRENCH  LEGATION.  47 

Japanese  secretary,  urging  him  strongly  to  dismiss  him. 

The  murderers  were  not,  so  far  as  is  known,  discover- 
able. The  murdered  man  was  buried  with  the  rites  and 
ceremonies  of  his  own  land  ;  being  followed  to  the  grave 
by  the  members  of  all  the  foreign  legations  and  by  two 
Governors  of  Foreign  Affairs. 

But  whilst  the  assassination  was  under  discussion 
between  the  English  Minister  and  two  high  officials  who 
had  called  at  midnight  to  offer  their  condolence  on  the 
atrocious  event,  a  messenger  arrived  announcing  that 
the  French  Legation  was  on  fire.  This  was  within  a 
few  hours  of  the  catastrophe  at  the  English  Legation. 
They  must  have  been  warm  times,  those.  Seven 
months  had  not  elapsed,  and  what  have  we  had  to 
record  ?  Four  men  deliberately  murdered  in  cold  blood ; 
a  fire  in  the  settlement ;  a  fire  at  the  Tycoon's  palace 
and  a  fire  at  the  French  Legation.  Rumours  were  rife 
of  the  most  unpleasant  intentions  with  regard  to  the 
strangers,  and,  early  in  February,  Mr.  HAERIS,  the  United 
States  Minister  sent  to  the  British  Envoy  Extraordinary, 
to  the  effect  that  it  had  been  reported  to  him  that  fifty 
men  had  been  seized  the  night  before  by  the  police — it 
having  been  discovered  that  they  had  gone  down  to 
Yokohama  to  murder  all  the  foreigners.  About  the  same 
time  1'Abbe  GIRABD  was  seated  outside  a  tea-house,  as 
his  horse  was  being  fed,  when  a  fellow  wearing  two 
swords  came  up  to  him,  and  said,  "You  know  you  are  all 
to  be  killed?"  "No,  really !"— was  the  reply— " when ?" 
To  which  the  other  answered  "  Soon,  in  a  single  night." 

All  tried  to  hope  for  the  best,  and  that  there  might  be 
no  ground  for  such  rumours  and  that  the  last  of  the 
chapter  of  horrors  had  been  seen.  But  no  !  On  the 
25th  February,  about  8  P.M.,  two  Dutch  captains  of 
vessels  in  harbour  were  cut  down  in  the  Main  street  of 
Yokohama.  This  act  was  accompanied  by  the  same 


48  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

features  as  the  others,  and  completed  the  half  dozen  of 
lives  taken  within  as  many  months. 

The  Japanese  Government,  by  the  tenacity  with  which 
their  new  visitors  clung  to  the  soil,  might  have  seen  how 
powerful  is  the  attraction  of  gain. 

To  counterbalance  these  evils  were  the  prospects  of 
rapid  fortune  held  out  to  all  who  could  get  a  reasonable 
share  of  the  currency ;  and  some  got  more  than  a 
reasonable  share.  The  settlement  benefited  by  the  fire  : 
as  a  better  class  of  houses  and  godowns  was  erected,  and 
gave  an  appearance  to  the  place  much  superior  to  that 
it  had  before  exhibited.  As  yet  there  was  but  little  of 
what  we  might  term  trade  proper — for  the  kobang 
scrimmage  could  lay  no  claim  to  the  title. 

(And  now  occurred  one  of  those  events,  that  mark  a 
listinct  epoch  in  the  foreign  relations  with  the  country. 

It  is  well  known  that  the  Tycoon  is  selected  from  three 
families — called  the  Gosankei.  They  are  the  Daimios 
of  KIUSIU,  OWARI  and  MITO.  Hitherto  the  last  named  had 
never  had  any  representative  attain  the  much  coveted 
rank : — and  the  Prince  of  that  house,  on  the  arrival  of 
foreign  ambassadors  to  make  treaties  in  1858,  saw  in  the 
jealousy  the  yielding  to  their  overtures  occasioned 
amongst  the  daimios  against  the  Tycoon,  an  occasion 
that  might  become  a  stepping-stone  for  his  house. 
Accordingly,  on  the  decease  of  the  prince  who  had 
nominally  held  the  reins  of  power  since  1853,  he  hoped 
to  secure  for  one  of  his  own  sons  the  election  to  the 
vacant  dignity.  But  the  hereditary  Eegent  of  the 
Empire,  an  enlightened  and  determined  man,  having 
discovered  beyond  doubt  the  whole  MITO  plot,  ordered 
him  into  retirement,  with  the  promise  that  if  he  obeyed 
the  order  promptly  and  quietly,  he  would  at  a  favorable 
opportunity  obtain  a  reversal  of  the  sentence  ;  otherwise 
he  should  use  force.  Mito,  checkmated,  acquiesced. 


MURDER  OP  THE  REGENT.  49 

But  brooding  in  his  retirement  over  his  failure,  devised  a 
plan  to  rid  him  of  his  enemy. 

The  election  had  fallen  upon  a  young  prince  of  Kiusiu, 
and  during  his  minority,  Ii  KAMON-NO-KAMI  was  fully 
invested  with  his  hereditary  office  as  Gotairo  or  Eegent. 
In  March  1860,  he  was  on  his  way  to  the  Tycoon's 
palace,  in  a  norimon  surrounded  by  his  retainers.  On 
the  bridge  crossing  the  moat,  was  the  cortege  of  the 
Prince  of  Kiusiu ;  and  coming  along  the  road  towards 
the  same  point,  was  the  retinue  of  the  Prince  of  Owari. 
The  account  of  what  followed  we  give  in  Sir  EUTHERFORD'S 
own  words  : — 

"  The  Gotairo  was  thus  between  them  at  the  foot  of 
the  bridge,  in  the  open  formed  by  the  meeting  of  a  broad 
street,  which  debouches  on  the  bridge.  A  few  straggling 
groups,  enveloped  in  their  oil-paper  cloaks,  alone  were 
near,  when  suddenly,  one  of  these  seeming  idlers  flung 
himself  across  the  line  of  march,  immediately  in  front 
of  the  Eegent's  norimon.  The  officers  of  the  household, 
whose  place  is  on  each  side  of  him,  rushed  forward  at 
this  unprecedented  interruption — a  fatal  move,  which  had 
evidently  been  anticipated,  for  their  place  was  instantly 
filled  with  armed  men  in  coats  of  mail  who  seemed  to 
have  sprung  from  the  earth — a  compact  band  of  some 
18  or  20  men.  The  unhappy  officers  and  attendants,  thus 
taken  by  surprise,  were  hampered  with  their  rain  gear — 
and  many  fell  before  they  could  draw  a  sword  either  to 
defend  themselves  or  their  lord.  A  few  seconds  must  have 
done  the  work  *  *  when  one  of  the  band  was 

seen  to  run  along  the  causeway  with  a  gory  trophy  in  his 
hand.  Many  had  fallen  in  the  mdee  on  both  sides. 
Two  of  the  assailants  who  were  badly  wounded,  finding 
escape  impossible,  stopped  in  their  flight,  and  deli- 
berately performed  the  harakirii,  to  the  edification  of 
their  pursuers — for  it  seems  to  be  the  law  (so  sacred  is 
the  rite  or  right,  whichever  may  be  the  proper  reading) 
that  no  one  may  be  interrupted  even  for  the  ends  of 
justice.  *****  Eight  of  the  assailants  were 
unaccounted  for  when  it  was  all  over  ; — and  many  of  the 
retinue  were  stretched  on  the  ground  wounded  and 

VOL.  i  F 


50  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

dying  by  the  side  of  those  who  made  the  murderous 
onslaught.  The  remnant  of  the  Kegent's  people,  released 
from  their  deadly  struggle,  turned  to  the  norimon  to  see 
how  it  fared  with  their  master  in  the  brief  interval — to 
find  only  a  headless  trunk !  The  bleeding  trophy 
carried  away  was  supposed  to  have  been  the  head  of  the 
Gotairo  himself,  hacked  off  on  the  spot.  But  strangest 
of  all  these  startling  incidents,  it  is  further  related  that 
two  heads  were  missing,  and  that  which  was  seen 
in  the  fugitive's  hand  was  only  a  lure  to  the  pursuing 
party — while  the  true  trophy  had  been  secreted  on  the 
person  of  another,  and  was  thus  carried  off,  though  the 
decoy  paid  the  penalty  of  his  life." 

This  boldly  originated  and  desperately  executed  plot, 
proved  to  foreigners  how  unscrupulous  were  their  foes, 
and  how  utterly  regardless  of  life,  if,  by  its  sacrifice,  they 
could  serve  their  chief  or  their  country.  It  was  merit 
surpassing  that  of  martyrdom  to  die  for  the  honour  of 
their  feudal  lord. 

That  the  Prince  MITO  was  thus  faithfully  served  was 
evident  on  many  occasions,  and  his  name  became  the 
foreigners'  bugbear. 

The  sequel  of  the  Kegent's  assassination  is  said  to 
have  been,  that  his  head  was  conveyed  to  the  elder  MITO, 

who  "  spat  upon  it  with  maledictions,  as  the  head  of  his 
greatest  enemy.  It  was  then  carried  to  Miaco,  the  capital 
of  the  Mikado,  and  there  exposed  at  a  place  of  execution 
in  that  city  especially  destined  for  princes  condemned  to  be 
executed,  and  over  it  was  placed  a  placard — '  This  is  the 
head  of  a  traitor  who  was  violated  the  most  sacred  law 
of  Japan — that  which  forbids  the  admission  of  foreigners 
into  the  country.'  After  two  hours  exposure,  the  same 
intrepid  followers  are  said  to  have  brought  it  away ;  and 
in  the  night  to  have  cast  it  over  the  wall  into  the  court 
of  Ii  RAMON'S  palace  at  Yedo,  from  which  he  sallied  forth 
in  pride  and  power  on  the  morning  of  his  death." 

The  first  year's  occupation  of  the  settlement  was 
completed,  and  on  looking  to  the  amount  of  trade  done, 
we  see  a  total  of  £1,000,000  sterling — the  tea  and  silk 


TRADE  AND  RESIDENCE.  1 

exported  being  respectively  1,250,000  Ibs.  and  3,000 
bales,  which  might  roughly  be  valued,  at  the  prices  of  the 
day,  at  £200,000.  The  greater  part  of  the  remaining 
£800,000  therefore  must  represent  the  trade  in  precious 
metals.  All  the  trade  left  a  profit,  that  placed  men,  who 
had  come  as  mere  adventurers,  in  the  position  of 
capitalists. 

The  profitable  results  of  almost  every  transaction  that 
was  entered  into,  kept  all  in  good  spirits,  and  as  the 
society  was  very  limited,  everybody  knew  everybody,  and 
kind  feeling  and  good  fellowship  were  the  rule.  The 
beauty  of  the  surrounding  country,  the  pleasantness  of 
the  climate  and  the  vigour  of  the  settlers,  most  of  them 
in  the  hey-day  of  early  manhood,  combined  to  make  all 
look  bright  and  pleasant,  apart  from  the  apprehensions 
ever  and  anon  engendered  by  occurrences  like  those 
recorded  in  our  two  last  chapters.  Hearty,  robust  and 
energetic,  they  could  equally  enjoy  the  climate  and  avail 
themselves  of  business  opportunities  :  and  it  is  not  to  be 
wondered  at  that  any  who  heard  of  Japan,  either  from 
the  lips  of  those  who  had  visited  Yokohama,  or  the 
letters  of  residents,  were  charmed  with  the  description, 
and  pictured  to  themselves,  if  not  a  land  of  oil  olives  and 
vineyards  and  flowing  with  milk  and  honey,  at  least  a 
terrestrial  paradise,  where  "  all  but  the  spirit  of  man 
was  divine." 

It  could  hardly  be  otherwise.  Many  of  those  who  were 
daily  augmenting  this  world's  store  had  experienced  life  in 
Hongkong,  Shanghai,  and  other  Chinese  ports,  where,  in 
spite  of  the  enormous  fortunes  made  by  their  employers, 
life  was  little  better  to  them  than  a  gilded  misery.  They 
came  here,  and  found  a  land  in  which  life  was  not  a  mere 
existence  but  positive  enjoyment;  whilst  every  mer- 
cantile or  financial  operation  had  just  sufficient  difficulty 
connected  with  it  to  give  it  zest,  and  all  the  profits  that 


52  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

accrued  went  into  their  own  pockets.  Their  time  was 
not  half  occupied,  and  the  jolly  rides,  walks,  and  land  and 
sea  excursions,  of  those  days,  live  pleasantly  in  the 
memory  of  all  who  enjoyed  them. 

At  the  end  of  the  first  twelve  months,  the  weight  for 
weight  exchange  ceased  according  to  Treaty. 

At  first  this  change  was  a  source  of  much  complaint 
among  the  merchants,  and  several  other  matters  of  great 
importance  pressing  themselves  on  the  public  attention 
at  the  same  time,  the  whole  led  to  such  representations 
being  made  to  H.  M.  Consul,  Captain  HOWAED  VYSE, 
that,  at  the  instance  of  the  British  Minister,  he  called 
a  Public  meeting,  which  was  presided  over  by  him. 

At  this  meeting  which  was  held  on  the  19th  February 
1861, — the  subjects  discussed  were : — 

The  Currency  question ; 

The  Government  obstruction  of  trade,  and  their  non- 
enforcement  of  Contracts ; 

The  Custom-house  shortcomings  and  deficiency  of 
Wharfage  accommodation. 

The  tenure  of  land,  and  unaccountable  delays  in 
obtaining  it ;  and 

The  security  to  life  and  property. 

On  the  first  point — the  Currency — the  merchants 
themselves  were  divided  in  opinion.  Mr.  CLAKKE,  the 
representative  of  DENT  &  Co.,  proposed  a  resolution  ex- 
pressive of  the  absolute  necessity  of  the  continuance  of  the 
old  system ;  whilst  Mr.  KESWICK  of  JABDINE,  MATHESON  & 
Co.,  warmly  opposed  it.  Mr.  CLARKE'S  motion  was 
negatived. 

For  the  legitimate  commerce  that  was  hoped  for  between 
Japan  and  other  countries,  the  change  was  decidedly  an 
advantage,  and  led  to  an  increase  in  the  trade  in  imports. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

MORE  ATTACKS. — THE  CASE  OF  ME.  MOSS. — HIS  TRIAL  AND 
SENTENCE. — MR.  ALCOCK  ALTERS  THE  SENTENCE. — RESULT. — 

FIRE    AT      ENGLISH    LEGATION. — APPREHENSIONS. — RONIN. 

RELATIONS  OF  DAIMIOS  AND  THEIR  RETAINERS. — THE  GOVERN- 
MENT POWERLESS. — MEETING  OF  FOREIGN  REPRESENTATIVES. 
— RESOLVE  TO  RETIRE  FROM  YEDO. — MURDER  OF  MR. 
HEUSKEN. — SUICIDE  OF  ORIBE-NO-KAMI. 

THE  last  two  chapters  have  been  anything  but  cheerful, 
and  properly  speaking  I  ought  to  record  a  series  of 
occurrences ;  which,  if  related  in  detail,  would  give  a  very 
lugubrious  tinge  to  my  narrative.  For  I  have  spoken 
of  murders,  and  a  similar  strain  might  pervade  the  whole 
of  the  year  1860.  The  French  Minister's  valet  was 
attacked  at  the  gate  of  the  temple  assigned  to  the  French 
Legation  in  Yedo,  fortunately  without  a  fatal  result ;  and 
in  November  of  that  year,  the  first  serious  conflict 
between  a  foreigner  and  the  Japanese  took  place.  It 
was  the  more  to  be  lamented,  as  likely  to  add  to  the 
difficulties  surrounding  the  opening  of  the  country. 

An  Englishman,  a  Mr.  Moss,  had  been  out  shooting ; 
an  amusement  strictly  prohibited  by  law.  He  was 
returning  through  Kanagawa  towards  the  settlement  with 
his  gun  over  his  shoulder,  and  followed  by  his  servant 


54  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

carrying  his  game,  when  the  police  laid  hold  of  the 
servant.  Mr.  Moss  immediately  came  to  his  rescue, 
when  they  attempted  to  arrest  him  also.  Bringing  his 
gun  down,  he  threatened  to  shoot  the  first  that  advanced 
to  lay  hands  on  him.  A  struggle  ensued  in  which  the 
gun  went  off  and  one  of  the  officers  was  severely  wounded 
—one  arm  being  shattered  above  the  elbow,  the  charge 
grazing  if  not  entering  the  chest.  It  is  wonderful  that 
with  such  an  excellent  excuse  there  was  no  sword  drawn  ; 
but  a  general  rush  was  made,  Moss  was  secured,  bound 
tightly  after  the  Japanese  manner,  and  imprisoned.  The 
Consul  having  been  informed  of  the  fracas  went  to 
Kanagawa  at  once  ;  but  it  was  midnight  before  he  could 
ascertain  the  whereabouts  of  his  countryman,  and  get 
him  out  of  the  clutches  of  the  Japanese. 

The  offence  of  which  Mr.  Moss  was  guilty — that  of 
shooting  within  10  ri  of  the  Tycoon's  palace — had  it  been 
committed  by  a  native,  would  have  been  punished  by 
decapitation.  Well  for  him  was  it  that  he  was  to  be 
judged  by  the  more  merciful  laws  of  England.  The 
Japanese  were  loud  in  their  outcry  for  vengeance,  and 
the  brothers  of  the  wounded  yakunin  declared  they 
would  have  the  life  of  the  aggressor. 

Mr.  Moss  was  tried  before  Mr.  Consul  VYSE  and  two 
assessors,  and  sentenced  to  deportation  and  to  pay  a  fine 
of  $1,000.  On  this  being  put  before  the  British  Minister 
he  altered  the  sentence,  on  the  ground  that  "  neither  the 
fine  nor  the  deportation  would  have  been  any  real  punish- 
ment ;  because  the  first  (as  was  ostentatiously  boasted) 
would  be  subscribed  for  by  the  prisoner's  friends  and 
supporters  in  the  community — and  the  deportation  would 
have  taken  place  in  any  case  by  a  voluntary  act  of  the 
accused  to  escape  the  threatened  vengeance  of  the 
wounded  man's  relations."  The  Minister  therefore  added 
three  months  imprisonment;  and  had  the  $1,000  handed 


THE  RONINS.  55 

over  to  the  maimed  official.  In  the  end  this  alteration 
of  sentence  proved  unfortunate  for  Mr.  ALCOCK,  for  Mr. 
Moss  brought  an  action  against  him  in  Hongkong,  and 
recovered  damages  of  $2,000. 

After  this  came  a  fire  at  the  English  Legation  in  Yeddo ; 
and  the  year  closed  with  apprehensions  of  violence  from 
hundreds  of  ronins,  who  had  become  so  for  the  sole  purpose 
of  molesting  and  attempting  to  slay  foreigners  without  the 
daimios,  their  proper  masters,  being  responsible  for  their 
acts. 

A  ronin  is  literally  an  outcast.  Every  person  in 
Japan  was  supposed  to  belong  to  some  daimio.  He  could 
be  thrust  out  of  the  daimio's  service  or  clan,  without  any 
further  protection  from  him,  should  he  bpcome  a  man  of 
bad  character ;  but  the  Japanese  code  of  honour  provided 
that  a  chief  should  avenge  insults  or  molestation  offered 
to  one  of  his  kerai.  The  temper  of  the  Japanese 
samurai,  however,  is  so  easily  roused,  that  had  the 
chiefs  actually  espoused  the  cause  of  every  clansman  who 
fancied  he  had  reason  to  complain,  their  whole  time 
might  be  occupied  and  all  their  means  wasted  in 
quarrelling  and  fighting  with  their  neighbours.  To 
remedy  this  evil,  a  former  Prince  SATSUMA  gave  to  his 
subjects  permission  to  slay  any  person  who  insulted 
them,  provided  they  at  once  performed  the  hara-Jdr}  on 
themselves,  that  he  and  the  clan  might  have  no  more 
trouble  on  their  behalf;  and  the  wisdom  of  such  a 
permission  is  obvious  at  a  glance. 

It  was,  however,  allowable  for  men  to  resign  their  alle- 
giance to  their  proper  chief,  and  become  ronins,  without 
the  right  of  protection  from  or  casting  any  responsibility  on 
him.  And  at  the  time  we  have  now  arrived  at  in  our  story, 
a  number  of  men  thus  disengaged  themselves  from  their 
masters;  becoming  ronins  with  the  avowed  intention  of 
attacking  foreigners, 


56  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

The  Japanese  Government  saw  a  state  of  things  full 
of  clanger  to  foreigners,  and  by  reason  thereof  not  less  so 
to  themselves,  as  powerless  to  prevent  it.  The  Legations 
were  kept  in  a  continual  state  of  apprehension  by  the 
constant  warnings  they  were  receiving ;  and  after  the 
small  lire  at  the  English  Minister's  residence,  most  likely 
the  result  of  accident,  and  the  barbarous  murder  of  Mr. 
HEUSKEN,  the  interpreter  of  the  American  Minister,  in 
the  open  street,  a  meeting  was  held  of  the  representatives 
of  the  Treaty  Powers,  and  all  but  Mr.  HARMS,  the  Envoy 
of  the  United  States,  determined  to  leave  Yedo  for  a  time 
under  strong  protest,  and  reside  in  Yokohama.  Even 
Count  EULENBERG,  who  was  just  completing  the  Prussian 
Treaty,  joined  .with  the  English,  French  and  Dutch 
representatives,  and  all  agreed  that  they  would  not  return 
until  it  was  seen  that  the  Government  was  disposed  to 
assert  its  authority  and  put  an  end  to  the  reign  of 
terror  which  it  had  hitherto  manifested  no  anxiety  to 
discourage. 

The  murder  of  Mr.  HEUSKEN  took  place  on  the  15th  of 
January  1861,  on  his  way  home  from  the  residence  of 
Count  EULENBERG,  for  whom  he  had  been  acting  the  part 
of  Interpreter  as  he  had  previously  done  for  Lord  ELGIN, 
in  1858.  He  was  on  horseback  and  preceded  by  a 
mounted  yakunin  carrying  a  lantern  with  the  Tycoon's 
arms  upon  it,  and  followed  by  the  ordinary  guard.  On 
entering  the  narrow  street  through  which  his  course 
lay,  he  was  suddenly  set  upon  by  some  half  dozen  men 
who  rushed  at  him  with  drawn  swords.  Deserted  by  his 
guard,  who  decamped  at  the  moment  danger  arose,  Mr. 
HEUSKEN  dashed  through  the  assailants,  who  cut  wildly 
at  him  as  he  passed  them.  He  had  but  a  hunting  whip 
to  defend  himself  with;  but  was  unconscious  of  being 
wounded,  until  he  had  ridden  about  a  hundred  yards ; 
when,  discovering  that  he  had  been  severely  injured,  he 


FOREIGN  MINISTERS  LEAVE  YEDO.  67 

called  his  horse  boy,  and  attempting  to  dismount,  fell 
heavily  on  the  ground.  It  is  not  known  how  long  he  lay 
there ;  but  having  at  last  been  taken  to  the  United 
States  Legation,  Dr.  MYBUKGH,  then  Dutch  interpreter  as 
well  as  medical  officer  attached  to  the  British  Legation, 
was  sent  for,  but  arrived  only  to  find  him  at  the  point  of 
death,  and  after  a  short  absence  returned  with  the  report 
that  he  was  dead. 

These  events  were  followed  in  a  few  days  by  the 
suicide  of  the  most  intelligent  of  th£  Governors  of  Foreign 
Affairs,  Horn  ORIBE-NO-KAMI — who  had  been  one  of  the 
most  active  in  arranging  the  Prussian  Treaty  ;  and  every 
day  increased  the  hostile  attitude  of  the  dangerous  classes, 
and  the  alarms  of  the  Government. 


VOL. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

MINISTERS,    MR.    HARRIS    EXCEPTED,  LEAVE  YEDO. EFFECT 

UPON      THE      GOVERNMENT. — INVITATION      TO     RETURN. — MR. 
ALCOCK  VISITS  NAGASAKI. — RETURNS   OVERLAND  TO  YOKOHAMA. 

YEDO. — MR.     OLYPHANT. — ATTACK     ON     BRITISH    LEGATION. 

OFFICERS     WOUNDED. — RONINS    IN    POSSESSION. — MR.     F.     J. 
LOWDER. — MR.  MACDONALD. 

THE  resolution  come  to  by  the  Ministers  of  Prussia, 
Holland,  France  and  Great  Britain,  was  carried  into 
effect.  They  left  Yedo,  and  took  up  residence  in 
Yokohama.  Mr.  HARRIS,  the  Minister  of  the  United 
States,  alone,  of  all  the  representatives  of  Foreign  Treaty 
Powers,  remaining  in  the  capital.  Mr.  HARRIS,  although 
the  last  sufferer,  through  the  fatal  attack  upon  his  friend 
and  interpreter  Mr.  HEUSKEN,  hoped  to  bring  the  Govern- 
ment to  reason  by  confidence ;  whilst  his  colleagues, 
tired  out  by  their  never-ceasing  vacillations  and  pro- 
fessed weakness,  thought  better  to  frighten  them,  by 
throwing  upon  them  the  responsibility  of  an  open 
rupture. 

At  first  the  Government  attempted  to  meet  this 
movement  of  the  four  ministers  by  silence,  and  appearing 
to  let  them  go  their  own  v?&y ;  but  they  very  soon  saw 


MR.  ALCOCK'S  RESOLVE  TO  VISIT  THE  INTERIOR.         59 

the  mistake  of  this  plan:  and  before  long  they  made 
advances  towards  conciliation  which  were  responded  to 
in  a  manner  fairly  to  put  them  on  their  mettle.  The 
British  Minister,  acknowledging  the  truth  of  the  Govern- 
ment's declaration,  that  the  measures  to  be  adopted  for 
securing  better  protection  to  foreigners  required  re- 
peated deliberations  and  would  occupy  much  time,  told 
them  that  he  had  made  up  his  mind  to  occupy  a  part  of 
such  interval  in  a  journey  into  the  interior,  and  a  visit  to 
the  ports  that  were  to  be  opened  according  to  treaty,  but 
to  which  the  Government  wished  to  postpone  the  admis- 
sion of  foreigners. 

The  effect  of  this  was  instantaneous.  A  trusty  agent 
who  was  particularly  approved  of  by  the  foreign  Minis- 
ters, but  whom  the  Gorojiu  had  refused  to  send  down 
when  first  requested  by  Mr.  ALCOCK  to  do  so,  was  now 
quickly  dispatched  to  Yokohama  to  make  arrangements 
for  a  return  to  Yedo.  The  conclusion  come  to  was, 
that  a  formal  invitation  in  the  name  of  the  Tycoon  should 
be  sent  to  each,  requesting  a  inoccupation  of  their  respec- 
tive legations.  The  invitation  was  sent  within  a  couple 
of  days,  and  exactly  four  weeks  from  their  .departure, 
they  re-entered  the  capital,  but  under  very  changed  cir- 
cumstances ;  for  they  were  received  at  the  landing  place 
by  the  Governors  of  Foreign  affairs  and  conducted  to 
their  residences,  each  of  their  national  flags  being  hon- 
oured by  a  salute  of  twenty  one  guns  from  the  batteries. 

By  the  course  of  proceedings  adopted  on  this  occasion 
the  Government  was  led  to  perceive  the  probable  conse- 
quences of  dealing. weakly,  treacherously,  or  carelessly, 
in  matters  appertaining  to  their  newly  received  but  most 
unwelcome  visitors. 

This  occurred  in  March  1861  *  But  although  the  in- 
timation of  Mr.  ALCOCK'S  intention  to  visit  the  ports  had 
led  to  the  speedy  acquiescence  in  all  the  terms 


60  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

demanded  by  him  and  his  colleagues,  he  did  not  alter 
his  resolves. 

After  a  visit  to  China  of  about  a  couple  of  months 
he  visited  Nagasaki,  and  from  thence  travelled  in  com- 
pany with  Mr.  DE  WITT,  the  Dutch  Consul-general,  over- 
land to  Yokohama.  Of  this  journey  I  need  take  no  further 
notice  than  to  mention,  that  it  was  from  witnessing 
the  precautions  taking  to  prevent  the  party  leaving  the  di- 
rect line  of  road,  in  many  places,  that  the  fact  of  the 
limited  nature  of  the  Tycoon's  sovereignty  first  dawned 
upon  the  ministers. 

They  arrived  at  Yokohama  on  the  2nd  July,  the  day 
after  the  second  anniversary  of  the  opening  of  the  Port. 
The  4th  July  saw  the  British  Minister  once  more  at  his 
legation  in  Yedo ;  and  accompanying  him  he  had  a  new 
member  of  the  staff  in  the  person  of  Mr.  OLIPHANT, 
who  had  arrived  during  his  absence,  as  Secretary  of 
Legation,  with  the  prospect  of  shortly  taking  charge  of 
British  interests  at  the  Court  of  the  Tycoon,  during  the 
projected  visit  of  his  chief  to  Europe.  But  man  proposes 
and  God  disposes  ! 

That  night,  the  very  first  after  accomplishing  the  over- 
land trip,  the  British  Legation  was  attacked  by  ronins. 
About  midnight  the  Minister  was  awoke  by  some  one  rush- 
ing into  his  room  with  the  announcement  that  men  were 
breaking  in  at  the  gate.  Eising  and  seizing  a  revolver, 
he  wras  leaving  the  room,  when  Mr.  OLIPHANT  suddenly 
made  his  appearance  covered  with  blood  streaming  from 
sword-cuts  in  his  arm  and  neck,  followed  by  Mr.  MORRI- 
SON  the  Consul  of  Nagasaki,  who  had  received  a  wound 
on  his  forehead.  Sir  KUTHERFORD'S  account  may  be  thus 
epitomised  : — 

"  I  looked  for  the  rush  of  pursuers,  and  stood  for  a  se- 
cond ready  to  fire,  and  check  their  advance,  while  the 
Wounded  passed  on  to  my  bedroom  behind.  I  was  the 
only  one  armed  at  this  moment,  for  though  Mr.  MORRISON 


ATTACK  ON  THE  ENGLISH  LEGATION.  61 

had  still  three  barrels,  he  was  blinded  and  stunned  with 
his  wounds.  Mr.  OLIPHANT  had  met  his  assailants  in  the 
passage  from  his  room,  with  only  a  heavy  hunting  whip 
in  his  hand.  We  had  been  taken  by  surprise,  and  of  the 
hundred  and  fifty  guards  surrounding  us,  not  one  appear- 
ed to  come  to  our  rescue. 

"  Mr.  OLIPHANT  was  bleeding  so  profusely  that  I  was 
obliged  to  lay  down  my  pistol  and  bind  his  wounds  with 
my  handkerchief ;  and  while  so  engaged,  there  was  a 
sudden  crash  and  the  noise  of  a  succession  of  blows  in 
the  adjoining  apartment.  Some  of  the  band  were  evi- 
dently breaking  through  the  glazed  doors  into  the  court 
with  a  frightful  fracas  ;  still  no  yakunins  seemed  attracted 
by  the  noise. 

"  We  were  but  five  Europeans  ;  our  foes,  of  unknown 
numbers.  We  dare  not  leave  our  wounded  ;  and  could 
not  tell  from  what  direction  the  assailants  might  come 
upon  us.  Many  or  few  they  had  possession  of  the  premi- 
ses for  nearly  ten  minutes,  but  providentially  had  missed 
their  way  to  my  apartments,  and  every  moment  lost  to 
them  was  a  priceless  gain  to  us.  Unwillingness  to  leave 
Mr.  OLYPHANT  lying  senseless  on  the  floor  prevented  our 
leaving  the  room  ;  and  at  length  the  noise  subsiding 
gave  hope  that  help  had  come,  or  the  attack  turned  in 
another  direction.  Then  only,  I,  with  two  of  the  party 
ventured  to  leave  the  wounded,  and  go  to  look  for  one  of 
our  number  at  a  further  wing  of  the  building  who  had 
never  appeared,  and  might  have  been  less  fortunate. 
While  advancing  I  put  one  of  the  students,  Mr.  LOWDEE, 
as  sentry  at  an  angle  commanding  a  long  passage  leading 
from  the  entrance,  and  was  suddenly  recalled  by  a  shot 
from  his  pistol.  A  group  of  armed  men  had  appeared, 
and  not  answering  his  challenge,  he  very  properly  fired 
into  them,  and  he  could  scarcely  have  missed  his  aim. 
At  all  events  they  retreated  suddenly,  and  this  was  the 
last  we  saw  of  them. 

"In  a  minute  or  two  the  Japanese  civilian  officers  in 
charge  came  and  congratulated  us  on  our  safety ;  and 
with  them,  to  my  great  relief,  Mr.  MAC  DONALD,  the 
missing  one  of  my  party.  His  apartment  being  partially 
detached,  he  had  rushed  out  on  hearing,  as  he  thought, 
some  one  breaking  into  his  bath-room ;  and  after  in  vain 
attempting  to  induce  a  guard  to  come  down,  made  his 


62  . .  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

way  though  a  side  gate  to  the  front,  where  he  saw  a  wild 
scene  of  tumult.  Groups  fighting — men  rushing  to  and 
fro  with  lanterns  and  gathering  from  all  sides.  He  was 
drawn  aside  by  some  of  the  civilian  yakunins  attached  to 
the  Legation,  and  as  he  was  conspicuous  in  his  white 
sleeping  costume,  they  threw  a  Japanese  dress  over  him. 
It  was  some  minutes  before  he  could  get  his  demands 
attended  to,  that  the  guard  should  go  to  the  house  to 
our  rescue  ;  nor  was  it,  in  effect,  until  all  the  assailants 
outside  had  been  beaten  off  or  made  their  retreat,  that 
any  thought  was  given  to  those  inside  the  house,  or  to 
the  propriety  of  seeing  that  those  for  whom  they  were 
lighting  outside,  had  not  been  cut  to  pieces  and  deli- 
berately assassinated  inside." 


CHAPTEE  VIII. 

INQUIRY  AS  TO  ATTACK  ON  BRITISH  LEGATION. — PAPER 
FOUND  ON  ONE  OP  THE  RONIN. — SUBSEQUENT  REPORT.— 
FAILURE  OF  THE  ENTERPRISE. — HARA-KIRI. — JAPANESE  CODE 
OF  HONOUR. — FOREIGN  LEGATION  GUARDS. — NECESSITY  FOR 
A  NAVAL  FORCE  WITHIN  REACH  OF  JAPAN. — MR.  DE  WITT 

REFUSES  TO  RESIDE  IN  YEDO. MORE  BLOODSHED. THE 

GOVERNOR  OF  YEDO. — REQUEST  TO  CONSULS  RESIDENT  IN 
KANAGAWA  TO  REMOVE  TO  YOKOHAMA. — FACTS  AND  RUMOURS. 

THE  attack  upon  the  British  Legation  having  been 
foiled,  the  attention  of  all  was  turned  to  the  examination 
of  the  facts  connected  with  it ;  by  whom  it  was  attempted 
and  at  whose  instigation.  From  a  paper  that  was  found 
on  the  body  of  one  of  the  assailants  who  was  killed  on 
the  spot,  as  well  as  on  another  who  had  been  too  badly 
wounded  to  allow  of  his  escape,  it  appeared  that  the  attack 
was  committed  to  fourteen  men  who  had  made  them- 
selves ronins  for  the  purpose  of  killing  foreigners,  in  the 
manner  described  in  a  previous  chapter. 

The  paper,  a  copy  of  which  was  most  likely  upon  each 
of  the  band,  ran  as  follows  : — 

"I,  though  I  am  a  person  of  low  standing  have  not 
patience  to  stand  by,  and  see  the  sacred  empire  defiled 


INTENTIONS  AND  REALITIES.  64 

by  the  foreigner.  This  time  I  have  determined  in  my 
heart  to  undertake  to  carry  out  my  master's  will.  Though 
being  altogether  humble  myself,  I  cannot  make  the  light 
of  the  country  to  shine  in  foreign  nations,  yet  with  a  little 
faith  and  a  little  warrior's  power,  I  hope  within  my  heart 
separately,  (by  myself,)  though  I  am  a  person  of  low 
degree,  to  bestow  upon  my  country  one  out  of  a  great 
many  benefits.  If  this  thing  from  time  to  time^  may 
cause  the  foreigner  to  retire,  and  partly  tranquilise  both 
the  minds  of  the  Mikado  and  of  the  government 
(Tycoon's)  I  shall  take  to  myself  the  highest  praise. 

Eegardless  of  my  own  life,  I  am  determined  to  set 
out." 

This  was  signed  with  fourteen  signatures. 

It  turned  out  eventually,  or  at  any  rate  such  was  the 
common  report,  that  instead  of  the  attempt  being  made 
by  lawless  ronins,  they  were  kerai  of  the  prince  of  Tsus- 
sima,  who  had  suffered  some  humiliation  from  the 
Captain  of  a  Russian  ship ;  and  hearing  that  a  great 
foreign  minister  was  about  to  make  the  overland  journey 
from  Nagasaki  to  Yedo,  thought  to  avenge  the  insult  by 
murdering  him  on  the  road.  Rumour  alleged  that  having 
failed  in  overtaking  him  they  arrived  in  Yedo,  and  lost 
no  time  in  putting  their  diabolical  plans  into  execution. 

The  enterprise,  so  far  as  the  intentions  of  the  con- 
spirators were  concerned,  failed  totally ;  for  all  they  suc- 
ceeded in  killing  were  two  of  their  own  countrymen,  and 
for  these  there  was  a  set-off  in  the  persons  of  two  of  their 
own  number.  Besides  these,  with  the  exception  of  Mr. 
OLYPHANT  and  Mr.  MORRISON,  the  former  of  whom  was 
very  dangerously  wounded,  all  of  the  eighteen  men 
more  or  less  injured  were  Japanese.  And  against  these, 
there  was  one  made  a  prisoner  on  the  spot  very  badly 
wounded ;  and  the  next  day  three  were  tracked  to  a  house 
in  Shinagawa,  who  on  arrival  of  the  police  committed 
hara-kiru ;  but  one  of  these  having  done  the  work  in- 
efficiently was  captured.  Two  others  were  at  a  later  day 


YOUNG  JAPAN.  65 

declared  to  have  been  so  hard  pressed  by  the  officers  of 
justice,  that  they  died  the  death  of  honour  to  avoid  fall- 
ing into  their  hands. 

A  fair  commentary  upon  the  Japanese  code  of  honour 
is  found  in  one  of  the  rumours  that  was  generally  believed, 
— that  when  the  three  who  had  fled  to  Shinagawa 
arrived  at  the  house  of  rendezvous,  they  were  bitterly 
reproached  by  their  chief  with  cowardice — they  especial- 
ly, as  the  only  part  of  the  band  that  had  been  in  actual 
conflict  with  foreigners  !  To  which  they  replied  that  they 
found  them  too  well  armed  and  ready  to  defend  their 
lives.  But  not  the  less  being  ordered  to  kill  themselves 
they  did  so  on  the  spot. 

It  was  this  event  that  decided  the  British  and  French 
ministers  to  have  a  guard  of  Europeans. 

In  the  morning  Mr.  ALCOCK  sent  a  despatch  to  Captain 
CKAIGIE  of  H.  M.  S.  "Bingdove,"  to  bring  his  vessel  up 
from  Yokohama  with  all  speed ;  and  by  one  o'clock  that 
same  afternoon,  that  officer  landed  in  Yedo  with  a  guard 
of  twenty  picked  men  all  armed.  One  particularly 
gratifying  feature  of  those  days,  was  the  perfect  accord 
and  sympathy  that  existed  between  the  English  and 
French  ministers.  Monsieur  DE  BELLECOUBT  was  in 
Yokohama  when  the  intelligence  arrived  in  the  settlement, 
but  he  immediately  went  on  board  the  "Bingdove,"  and 
obtaining  passage  for  himself  and  a  party  of  Marines 
from  the  French  transport  "  Dordogne,"  arrived  with 
Captain  CRAIGIE  at  the  Legation,  determined  to  share 
with  his  colleague  whatever  anxieties  and  perils  might 
arise. 

This  attack  proved  to  the  Government  at  home  and  to 
the  Admiral  of  the  China  station,  the  necessity  of  having 
a  sufficient  naval  force  within  hail,  in  case  of  emergencies. 
Mr.  ALCOCK  had  represented  this  necessity  often  and 
often,  but  his  warnings  had  been  unheeded,  and  in  view 

VOL.  i  H 


66       THE  DUTCH  MINISTER  DECLINES  RESIDENCE  IN  YEDO. 

of  the  ample  employment  for  his  force  in  the  China 
waters,  Admiral  HOPE  thought  but  little  of  Japan.  So 
unimportant  indeed,  did  he  consider  the  presence  of  his 
ships  here,  that  although  he  had  written  to  the  Minister 
that  he  would  arrive  on  the  15th  of  that  very  month,  he 
had  not  made  his  appearance  at  the  end  of  it;  but 
fortunately,  on  the  news  reaching  Nagasaki,  Mr. 
ANNESLEY,  the  Acting  Consul,  without  a  moment's  delay, 
sent  off  to  a  bay  at  no  great  distance,  where  he  knew 
H.  M.  S.  ACTION  and  three  gunboats  were  lying,  and 
they  quickly  arrived  off  Yokohama.  Thus  was  the  safety 
of  the  foreign  community  provided  for,  which,  since  the 
departure  of  the  "Kingdove"  to  Yedo,  had  been  only 
guarded  by  a  Dutch  man-of-war  brig,  the  "  Camelot,"  in 
attendance  on  the  Dutch  Minister,  Mr.  DE  WITT.  This 
latter  gentleman,  on  hearing  of  the  assault,  wrote  to  the 
Gorojiu,  that,  seeing  how  little  their  protection  was  to  be 
trusted,  he  must  decline  taking  up  his  residence  in  Yedo 
for  the  present. 

And  now  my  readers  will  be  hoping  that  all  these 
scenes  of  bloodshed  are  at  an  end.  I  wish  they  were ; 
but  I  must  still  trespass  awhile  on  their  patience.  Let 
me  give  yet  another  page  verbatim  from  Sir  KUTHERFORD'S 
book : — 

"  Then  followed,  on  the  17th,  a  menacing  placard  on 
ANDO  TSUSSIMA-NO-KAMI'S  door:  followed  on  the  18th,  by 
an  attack,  real  or  simulated,  on  the  American  Legation. 
MONS.  DE  BELLECOURT  might  well  say  '  1'esprit  se  deprave,' 
in  such  an  atmosphere  of  assassinations,  menaces  and 
rumours ;  each  day  bringing  its  contingent.  I  will 
complete  this  page  of  our  history  in  Japan,  by  a  copy 
and  memorandum  made  at  the  time,  for  the  Foreign 
Office,  of  rumours  and  reports  in  circulation  from  day  to 
day,  in  Yedo  and  Kanagawa,  which  reached  me  from 
other  sources. 

"  The  Governor  of  Yedo,  a  few  days  after  the  attack  on 
the  Legation,  was  said  to  have  been  murdered  in  his 


YOUNG  JAPAN.  6? 

house,  by  a  band  of  ronins,  in  league  with  those  who 
attacked  the  Legation  ;  and  in  revenge  for  the  vigour 
with  which  these  were  being  pursued !  Next  day,  he  was 
said  only  to  be  sick,  and  suspended  for  the  moment  in 
his  office.  Finally,  it  appeared,  he  had  committed  the 
hara-kiru,  having  offended  by  intruding  his  opinion  at  a 
grand  Council  of  daimios,  (he  not  being  a  daimio.)  The 
Council  was  said  to  have  been  convoked  to  determine 
whether  the  Tycoon  should  obey  a  mandate  to  go  to 
Miako  to  pay  homage  to  the  Mikado,  as  a  preliminary  to 
a  marriage  with  the  daughter  of  the  latter,  and  the 
composition  of  certain  difficulties  for  some  time  existing. 
The  Governor  sent  in  a  very  strong  but  ably  drawn  up 
opinion  against  it.  This  opinion  was  adopted;  but  a  rival 
and  former  Governor  took  advantage  of  the  opportunity 
to  ruin  him  by  charging  him  with  a  violation  of  the  laws 
in  offering  it.  Upon,  this  had  been  grafted  a  report  of  a 
'  duel  a  mort,'  it  seems,  but  not  a  hand  to  hand  fight. 

"  Three  ronins  were  reported  to  have  been  watching 
the  new  stockades  and  fences  putting  up  at  the  legation, 
and  to  have  said  with  bitterness,  they  were  too  strong  to 
be  broken  through.  (A  great  mistake  on  their  part,  if 
they  ever  arrived  at  the  conclusion,  for  I  demonstrated  to 
the  chief  officials  on  service,  some  time  after  this,  that 
the  separate  bamboos,  could  all  be  slid  upwards,  and 
any  number  of  ronins  might  enter  without  the  least  noise 
or  difficulty.) 

"  The  Governor  of  Kanagawa  urged  the  danger  of  an 
attack  on  the  British  Consulate,  and  wished  Captain 
VYSE  to  go  over  to  Yokohama  where  he  would  be  more 
easily  protected  ;  and  in  the  meantime,  to  admit  a  party 
of  yakunins  inside  his  house.  The  ministers  urged  the 
same  thing,  when  the  interview  took  place. 

"  Three  nights  before,  all  the  gates  of  the  streets  about 
Kanagawa  were  closed,  and  the  servants  spread  an  alarm 
that  the  ronins  were  at  hand,  and  already  engaged  with 
the  daimio's  guard  on  the  hill.  Four  were  actually 
seized  in  a  tea  house  which  was  surrounded,  and  but  one 
escaped.  There  did  not  seem  to  have  been  any  fight, 
but  a  body  of  them  were  about  ;  giving  countenance  to 
rumours  of  an  intended  attack  on  the  Consulate.  Captain 
VYSE  had  a  guard  of  seven  men  from  the  "  Ringdove  ;" 
and  a  Dutch  brig  of  war  and  a  French  armed  transport 


68  LETTER  OF  RONINS. 

were  close  in  at  Yokohama,  in  the  absence  of  any  British 
ship,  for  the  protection  of  the  foreign  settlement. 

"  Yesterday  a  report  came  in,  that  two  men  had  pre- 
sented themselves  at  the  Prince  of  Satsuma's  kami- 
yashiki  or  palace,  demanding  refuge,  and  on  being 
refused,  instantly  killed  themselves. 

"  Afterwards  modified  into  a  report  that  50  men 
demanded  entrance  and  sanctuary,  and  being  refused, 
killed  the  gate-keeper  and  dispersed.  Again,  that  one 
only  presented  himself,  asking  asylum  for  50,  and  on 
being  refused,  killed  himself,  sure  of  being  denounced. 

"  I  may  as  well  add  here,  though  the  account  reached 
me  somewhat  later,  the  translation  of  a  letter,  said  to 
have  been  left  in  their  house  by  four  officers  of  the 
Prince  of  MITO  wrho  had  made  themselves  ronins. 

19th  of  8th  month. 

"We  become  ronins  now,  since  the  foreigner  gains  more 
and  more  influence  in  the  country,  unable  tranquilly  to 
see  the  ancient  laws  (of  Gongen-sarna)  violated ;  we 
become,  all  four,  ronins  with  the  intention  of  compelling 
the  foreigner  to  depart. 

AKIGAMI  TETSONDJIBO. 

TATEMI  TOMIGORO. 

ATSOUMI  GORO. 

MITSOUNGI  SADUA." 

"  Such  were  the  conditions  under  which  the  Legations 
in  Yedo  had  to  be  maintained  during  the  month  suc- 
ceeding the  attack  of  the  5th  of  July." 


CHAPTER  IX. 

INABILITY  OF  GOVERNMENT  TO  PEOTECT  FOREIGNERS. — 
GOVERNMENT  ANXIETY  AS  TO  OPENING  YEDO. — CLOSER  RELA- 
TIONS.— PROPOSALS  TO  DEFER  THE  OPENING  OF  YEDO,  HIOGO, 
OSAKA  AND  NI-IGATA. — AUTOGRAPHIC  LETTER  FROM  TYCOON  TO 

THE     QUEEN. MR.      OLYPHANT     ITS     BEARER. — EMBASSY     TO 

TREATY   POWERS   DETERMINED   ON. ESTABLISHMENT    OF    THE 

JAPAN  HERALD. — JAPANESE  EMBASSY  LEAVES  FOR  EUROPE. — 
ITS  RESULTS. — DEDICATION  OF  ROMAN  CATHOLIC  CHURCH, 
YOKOHAMA. — ENGLISH  CHURCH. — ATTEMPTED  CLOSING  OF  THE 
TOKAIDO  TO  FOREIGNERS. — MR.  ALCOCK'S  ACTION. — CONFLA- 
GRATIONS.— WATER  SUPPLY. — LAND  RENTAL. — PROGRESS  OF 
TRADE. — IMPORTS. — THE  DUTCH  CONSUL  AND  THE  CUSTOMS. 

THE  continued  hostility  displayed  towards  foreigners, 
culminating  in  the  attack  on  the  British  Legation,  had 
the  effect  of  convincing  the  foreign  Ministers  of  the 
absolute  inability  of  the  Japanese  Government  to  give 
them  efficient  protection,  and  much  anxiety  was  shewn 
by  the  Government,  respecting  the  opening  of  Yedo  on 
the  day  appointed,  the  first  of  January  1862,  which  was 
fast  approaching.  The  opportunity  was  taken  by  the 
British  Minister  of  seeking  a  closer  and  more  directly 
personal  intercourse  with  the  Gorojiu  than  hitherto;  for 


70  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

to  this  time  all  interviews  were  of  the  most  public  kind, 
being  attended  by  the  Governors  of  Foreign  affairs, 
0-metskes,  and  a  host  of  lesser  officials,  which  had  render- 
ed anything  like  confidential  interviews  impossible.  As, 
however,  Mr.  OLYPHANT,  temporarily  disabled  by  his 
wounds,  was  about  to  return  home,  and  would  be  the 
bearer  of  Mr.  ALCOCK'S  dispatches  on  the  late  attack 
and  on  the  proposals  now  made  by  the  Government  of 
the  Tycoon  that  the  opening  of  the  ports  of  Yedo,  Hiogo, 
Osaka  and  Niigata,  be  deferred  until  a  more  fitting  oc- 
casion ;  and  as  Mr.  ALCOCK  stated  that  the  communica- 
tion he  wished  to  make  had  better  be  divulged  to  none 
but  themselves,  the  proposal  was  acceded  to,  and  a 
better  system  of  official  intercourse  inaugurated. 

The  postponement  of  the  opening  of  the  port  of 
Hiogo  and  the  city  of  Osaka,  which  by  treaty  were  to  be 
opened  on  the  first  of  January,  1863,  was  made  the 
subject  of  an  autographic  letter  from  the  Tycoon  to  the 
Queen,  of  which  Mr.  OLYPHANT  became  the  bearer. 
And  an  embassy  was  determined  upon,  from  the  Tycoon 
to  the  Treaty  Powers,  which  should  have  for  its  primary 
object  the  attainment  of  the  same  end. 

It  apparently  mattered  little  whether  the  ports  were 
opened  or  not,  so  far  as  trade  was  concerned ;  for  the 
Government  had  placed  so  many  difficulties  in  the  way  of 
it,  that  the  treaties  had  become  practically  all  but  in- 
operative, and  complaints  both  loud  and  frequent  were 
made  by  merchants  to  the  Consul  of  the  annoyances  and 
obstructions  they  met  with. 

The  foreign  residents  were,  equally  with  their  repre- 
sentatives, extremely  averse  to  the  postponement ;  and 
although  they  were  but  few  in  number  their  opinions 
were  allowed  due  weight. 

On  the  23rd  November  1801,  the  first  number  of  the 
Japan  Herald  was  published  in  Yokohama ;  and  its  ear- 


DEPARTURE  OF  EMBASSY.  71 

Her  numbers  are  taken  up  with  these  and  kindred 
subjects.  From  them  it  is  proved,  that  the  foreign 
Ministers  held  out  against  the  postponement  of  the 
opening  of  Yedo  until  the  last  moment,  and  only  on  the 
27th  December,  1861,  did  they  notify  their  respective 
countrymen  of  their  having  given  their  consent  to  it. 
But  I  will  allude  to  this  in  another  chapter. 

The  Japanese  Embassy  took  its  departure  in  January 
1862,  on  board  H.M.S.  Odin,  and  I  may  here  anticipate 
events  by  saying,  that  the  European  Treaty  Powers  as- 
sented to  the  postponement  of  the  opening  of  Osaka, 
Hiogo,  Yedo  and  Ni-igata,  for  five  years,  as  America  had 
already  ^agreed  to  it,  an  Embassy  having  gone  thither 
previously.  In  a  number  of  other  matters  they  brought 
before  the  governments  of  the  Treaty  Powers,  they  were 
entirely  unsuccessful,  but  this  one  success  was  to  them 
of  incalculable  advantage. 

To  this  time  Yokohama  had  been  without  a  church, 
although  not  without  ministers  of  the  gospel,  of  whom 
there  were  from  very  early  days  both  American  and 
French  Missionaries.  Of  the  latter,  was  he  whom  I 
have  already  named  as  having  been  warned  of  the 
intended  massacre  of  foreigners — M.  1'Abbe  GIRARD.  By 
his  efforts  mainly  a  French  Church  was  built ;  and  dedi- 
cated to  "  The  Sacred  Heart  of  JESUS  "  on  12th  January 
1862.  The  funds  were  raised  partly  by  the  "mission,"  and 
partly  by  the  subscriptions  of  all  sects  and  denominations. 
On  the  16th  of  the  same  month  a  mass  was  celebrated  for 
the  repose  of  the  soul  of  the  murdered  Mr.  HEUSKEN. 

The  English  Church  service  had  hitherto  been  held  at 
the  private  residence  of  the  British  Consul  every  Sunday 
morning  at  the  usual  hour.  But  during  the  past  year  a 
successful  effort  was  made  to  obtain  funds  for  a  building 
in  connection  with  the  English  Church  establishment , 


72  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

and  application  was  made  to  the  Foreign  Office  for  a 
Consular  Chaplain  to  be  provided,  a  guarantee  having 
been  given  of  the  recognised  proportion  of  his  salary 
being  paid  by  the  community.  The  church  and  par- 
sonage were  commenced  early  in  1862. 

About  the  middle  of  the  month  of  January  the  British 
Minister  had  occasion  to  shew  his  teeth  to  the  Japanese 
authorities,  under  the  following  circumstances. 

Numerous  daimios  and  others  with  large  retinues 
were  expected  to  pass  along  the  Tokaido  during  the  week, 
and  application  was  made  to  foreign  ministers  to  prevent 
their  countrymen  from  going  upon  that  road  for  a  few 
days.  The  French  Minister  acceded  to  this  request,  and 
issued  an  order  to  his  compatriots  in  consonance  with  it ; 
but  Mr.  ALCOCK  refused  to  "prevent"  British  subjects 
from  travelling  on  the  road,  but  went  so  far  as  to  issue  a 
circular  requesting  them  to  avoid  the  road  during  two 
days.  The  Japanese,  however,  shut  the  gates ;  thus 
positively  infringing  the  Treaty.  Directly  Mr.  ALCOCK 
heard  this,  he  sent  an  indignant  remonstrance  to  the 
Governor  of  Kanagawa,  reminding  him  that  the  gates 
were  there,  not  for  the  imprisonment  but  the  protection 
of  foreigners,  and  telling  him  that  unless  they  were  im- 
mediately opened,  a  force  would  be  landed  from  a  man- 
of-war  and  the  gates  destroyed  entirely.  The  Governor 
made  a  stammering  excuse  that  the  yakunins  at  the 
gates  were  alone  responsible ;  but  it  was  too  palpable 
that  the  order  had  emanated  from  higher  quarters.  This 
promptness  took  the  officials  by  surprise,  and  has 
prevented  anything  like  such  a  proceeding  since  ; 
although  they  always  announced  when  any  particularly 
great  man  was  about  to  pass  with  a  large  cortege. 

Fires  in  the  native  settlement  had  on  more  than  one 
occasion  threatened  the  foreign  quarters.  In  the  course 
of  the  winter  of  '61  and  '62  two  large  conflagrations  oc- 


DUTCH  SUBJECTS  AND  THEIR  CONSUL-GENERAL.  78 

curred,  the  lesser  of  which  consumed  more  than  seventy 
houses  including  a  large  portion  of  Yoshiwarra ;  and  a 
cry  was  raised  for  proper  precautions  against  fire,  es- 
pecially with  regard  to  a  water  supply  This,  with 
other  wants,  also  caused  men's  minds  to  turn  towards  the 
acquirement  of  a  Municipal  Committee. 

The  subject  of  land-rental  had  for  some  months  oc- 
cupied public  attention,  and  vigourous  protests  were  made 
by  all  nationalities.  In  the  case  of  the  Dutch  residents, 
it  led  to  a  very  ill-considered  letter  from  Mr.  DE  WITT, 
the  Dutch  Consul-general,  resident  at  Nagasaki,  to  the 
Dutch  Consul  in  Yokohama,  instructing  him  to  see  that 
the  Dutch  subjects  paid  the  rent  at  once,  adding — "  In 
case  it  may  happen  that  some  of  them  are  unwilling  to 
do  so,  I  request  you  to  inform  me  of  their  names,  that  I 
may  propose  to  the  Government  their  being  deported." 
A  meeting  of  those  concerned  was  immediately  held,  and 
a  temperate  but  telling  reply  sent,  protesting  against  the 
threat  held  out ;  and  further  stating  "that  it  cannot  be 
looked  upon  as  otherwise  than  highly  disagreeable  and 
offensive  to  the  feelings  of  the  Dutch  established  here  ; 
and  considering  their  calm  and  composed  attitude  and 
that  the  Consul-general  without  any  precedent  holds  out 
this  threat  they  beg  to  record  their  most  serious  indigna- 
tion against  this  expression." 

The  French  Vice-Consul,  in  a  letter  to  some  of  his 
countrymen — who  had  declared  their  unwillingness  to  pay 
the  land-rent  demanded,  and  that  they  would  send  him  a 
formal  letter  of  explanation  on  the  subject — quietly  re- 
plied he  was  not  permitted  to  receive  such  a  letter ;  and 
the  plan  was  adopted  of  making  the  press  the  vehicle  of 
protest,  by  publishing  the  whole  correspondence  as  an 
advertisement  ;  but  the  English  Minister  took  the  great- 
est pains  to  reason  with  his  countrymen  in  hopes  of 
avoiding  any  unpleasant  conflict. 

VOL.  i  i 


74  70UN<J  JAPAN. 

Trade  as  yet  had  progressed  but  slowly,  giving  employ- 
ment in  round  numbers  to  about  100.  vessels  in  the  year, 
of  which  one  half  were  British.  The  total  value  was 
about  One  Million  Sterling,  of  which  the  imports  might 
be  valued  at  about  $300,000.  The  bulk  of  the  export 
trade,  apart  from  bullion,  in  1860,  had  been  "  edibles  for 
the  Chinese  market ;  "  but  in  1861  the  legitimate  staples 
Tea  and  Silk  had  come  forward  more  freely ;  and  a  few 
ventures  were  made  in  Rags — which  latter,  however, 
reached  a  poor  market,  and  in  the  bulk  left  a  serious  loss 
to  the  speculators. 

Amongst  the  "  imports  "  are  mentioned  "  two  tigers'.' 
In  the  Straits  they  may  have  been  worth,  Sir  RUTHERFORD 
surmises,  $100,  but  they  sold  here  to  Japanese  for 
purposes  of  exhibition  for  $8,000  or  $4,000.  "  And  in 
this,  as  in  other  things,  the  appetite  appeared  to  grow  by 
indulgence ;  for  the  tigers  led  to  an  order  for  a  brace  of 
elephants.  But  even  here,  as  in  all  other  novelties,  there 
was  an  impediment  in  the  first  instance  to  be  got  over 
on  the  part  of  the  Japanese  authorities,  and  the  following 
story  was  in  circulation.  Whether  they  objected  because 
tigers  were  not  in  the  Tariff  or  on  some  other  equally 
valid  ground,  certain  it  is,  they  did  object ;  and  as  the 
importer  was  a  Dutch  subject  it  became  a  matter  of  dis- 
cussion with  the  Dutch  Consul,  who  solved  the  difficulty 
with  great  readiness. 

"  "When  the  Japanese  Custom-house  and  the  Consul 
seemed  to  have  come  to  a  dead-lock,  the  question  arose 
what  was  to  be  done  with  the  article  ?  The  Custom- 
house would'nt  pass  it, — the  ship  could  not  take  it  back. 
What  was  to  be  done  with  the  beautiful  beast  ?  'Oh, 
very  well,'  said  the  Consul  seeing  it  was  time  to  make  a 
last  stroke  for  his  countryman's  merchandise,  '  since 
you  say  it  is  impossible  to  allow  it  to  be  entered  and 
sold,  there  is  nothing  left  but  for  the  merchant  to  lose 


THE  CUSTOMS  AND  THE  TIGER.  5 

his  money,  and  let  the  beast  out.'  *  Let  it  loose  ? '  ex- 
claimed the  officials,  in  various  tones  of  horror  and  dis- 
may, '  why,  it  will  eat  us  up  ! '  '  Really,  I  don't  know 
—perhaps  he  is  not  very  hungry,  but  in  any  case,  I 
cannot  compel  the  merchant  to  keep  it.' 

It  is  superfluous  to  add  that  all  further  interdict  was 
quickly  removed,  and  instead  of  making  a  rneal  of  the 
Japanese,  he  was  sold  and  publicly  exhibited. 


CHAPTER  X. 

ASSAULT  ON  ANDOTSUSSIMA-NO-KAMI. — YOKOHAMA  KESIDENTS 
DEMAND  MUNICIPAL  GOVERNMENT. — NEWSPAPER  CORRESPON- 
DENCE.— PROSPECTS  OF  IMPROVEMENT. JAPANESE  INTOLE- 
RANCE.— WATER  SCHEME  FOR  YOKOHAMA. — MR.  ALCOCK  LEAVES 
FOR  ENGLAND. — FOREIGNERS  ON  THE  OPENING  OF  THE  PORTS. 
— THEIR  MISTAKEN  VIEWS. — FRENCH  AND  ENGLISH  MINISTERS 
DEFER  THE  OPENING. — THE  ENGLISH  NOTIFICATION. — PORTU- 
GUESE TREATY  RATIFIED. — MUNICIPAL  COMMITTEE  FORMED. — 
ARRIVAL  OF  NEW  U.  S.  MINISTER  AND  CONSUL. — MR.  TOWNSEND 
HARRIS. 

I  HAVE  already  mentioned  the  threatening  notice  that 
was  placed  on  the  door  of  ANDO  TsussiMA-no-KAMi's  resi- 
dence in  Yedo.  This  was  no  idle  threat;  for  on  the  13th 
of  February,  as  the  daimio  was  proceeding,  with -one  of 
the  members  of  the  Gorojiu,  or  Council  of  State,  to  an 
audience  with  the  Shogun,  the  norimon  in  which  he  was 
seated,  in  spite  of  the  retinue  by  which  he  was  attended, 
was  attacked,  on  reaching  the  inner  moat  of  the  castle, 
by  ten  or  twelve  ronins,  who  carried  fire-arms  and  fired  at 
him.  Happily  he  was  not  struck.  It  was  said  that  he 
got  out  of  his  norimon,  and  succeeded  in  killing  five  of 
his  assailants  with  his  sword ;  receiving  only  a  few  insig- 
nificant wounds  in  return. 


THE  FOREIGN  SETTLEMENT,  YOKOHAMA.  77 

As  regards  the  foreign  settlement  of  Yokohama,  there 
appears  to  have  been  more  public  spirit  among  the 
residents  at  that  time  than  there  is  now.  Municipal 
government  was  loudly  called  for.  A  correspondent  of 
the  Japan  Herald  says  : — 

"  The  old  concession  abounds  with  wooden  buildings ;  at 
present  there  is  no  power  to  compel  the  construction  of 
fire-proof  structures.  There  is  no  organization  for  the 
purpose  of  preventing  the  spread  of  fire ;  none  for  the 
supply  of  water ;  none  for  the  restriction  or  removal  of 
nuisances,  and  no  power  to  pass  ordinances  for  sanitary 
purposes.  In  fact  we  have  a  town,  streets,  houses, 
and  a  goodly  number  of  inhabitants,  under  no  control, 
no  government,  no  restraints,  and  without  the  power  of 
doing  good.  Such  an  anomaly  cannot  be  found  in  any 
other  place  settled  by  Europeans  and  Americans." 

We  shall  see  presently  that  shortly  after  this  there 
appeared  to  be  a  prospect  of  such  a  state  of  things 
coming  to  an  end.  But  in  point  of  fact,  although  fitful 
attempts  at  municipal  government  have  been  made,  all 
have  proved  futile,  and  the  settlement,  to  all  intents  and 
purposes,  remains  as  badly  off  as  ever  it  was.  Fires 
were  then  frequent  both  in  the  native  town  and  in  the 
foreign  quarters ;  but  organisation  for  extinguishing  such 
dire  visitants  is  still  very  imperfect. 

One  feature  of  those  times  has  quite  passed  away — 
persecution  for  religion's  sake.  On  the  18th  February 
1861,  thirty-three,  and  on  the  following  day  twenty-two, 
natives,  supposed  to  be  small  merchants  and  pilgrims  to 
the  Ise  shrines,  were  seized  at  the  entrance  of  the 
compound  of  the  Eoman  Catholic  Chapel  as  they  were  leav- 
ing it,  by  a  number  of  yakunins.  They  were  conveyed  to 
Tobe  prison ;  where,  it  was  said,  they  would  receive  condign 
punishment  for  the  offence  of  visiting  the  foreign  place 
of  worship,  which  they  had  done  simply  to  gratify  an  idle 
curiosity.  Representations  were  at  once  made  by  the 
foreign  ministers  to  the  Governor  of  Kanagawa ;  who  re- 


78  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

plied  that  it  was  an  extreme  case,  and  he  must  apply  for 
instructions  to  the  Gorojiu.  They  were  released  after  a 
few  days  detention,  but  'ordered  to  be  under  strict 
surveillance.  The  order  for  their  release  came  from 
the  Shogun,  in  response  to  a  strong  remonstrance  by  the 
French  Minister ;  but  an  intimation  was  delivered  to  the 
effect  that  if  any  similar  cases  should  occur  they  would 
be  treated  with  the  utmost  rigour. 

In  March  1862,  Captain  F.  HOWARD  VYSE,  H.M.'s 
Consul,  elaborated  and  published  a  scheme  for  supplying 
Yokohama  with  water,  to  be  available  in  case  of  fire. 
It  was  simple,  and  might  easily  have  been  carried  out. 
A  reservoir  at  the  top  of  the  hill,  on  the  ground  reserved 
for  the  British  Consulate,  calculated  to  contain  10,600 
tons  of  water,  which  would  have  enabled  -30  hose  to  be 
kept  running  with  sufficient  pressure  to  reach  the  highest 
buildings  in  the  settlement,  continuously  for  eleven  to 
twelve  hours.  The  scheme  fell  through,  and  nothing  has 
been  done  in  the  matter  from  that  day  to  this. 

Mr.  ALCOCK  left  on  a  visit  to  England  on  the  28rd 
March,  and  Dr.  WINCHESTER  became  Charge  d'Affaires 
pending  the  arrival  of  Lieut.  Colonel  St.  JOHN  NEALE.  Aa 
the  time  approached  for  the  opening  of  the  cities  of  Yedo 
and  Osaka,  and  the  ports  of  Hiogo  and  Niigata,  for  foreign 
trade  and  residence,  notwithstanding  the  urgent  requests 
of  the  Japanese  Government  for  delay,  (in  consideration 
not  only  for  the  safety  of  foreigners,  but  of  the  certainty 
that  their  opening  them  at  that  time  would  lead  to  a 
civil  war,_and  to  consequences  that  could  hardly  be 
foreseen),  the  foreign  residents  were  most  anxious  that 
the  treaty  should  be  carried  out  to  the  letter.  A 
memorial  was  signed  by  several  of  the  leading  merchants 
and  others,  addressed  to  Lord  JOHN  KUSSELL,  H.  M. 
Secretary  of  State  for  Foreign  Affairs,  pointing  out  that— 


MEMORIAL  TO  LORD  JOHN  RUSSELL.          79 

"  This  clause  of  the  Treaty  has  been  justly  regarded  as 
one  of  the  most  important  concessions  made  to  foreign 
trade  by  the  Tycoon  of  Japan,  and  a  step  which  would, 
when  carried  into  operation,  exercise  the  greatest'  in- 
fluence upon  the  foreign  relations  of  the  country." 

And  after  alluding  to  the  amount  of  trade  done  since 
the  opening  of  the  ports  they  proceed : — 

"  We  beg  leave,  with  all  due  deference,  to  lay  before 
your  lordship  our  opinion  that  the  clause  in  question  is 
one  of  the  most  important  in  the  treaty ;  that  there  are 
many  and  strong  reasons  why  it  should  be  carried  out ; 
and  that  the  reasons  which  are  alleged  against  it  are 
likely  to  convey  impressions  of  the  weakness  of  the 
Government  and  the  hostility  of  the  natives,  which  are 
not  consistent  with  our  experience ;  and  which,  if  they 
exist  at  all  at  Yedo,  are  not  likely  to  exist  in  any  force 
at  Hiogo  or  Osaka." 

How  very  much  they  were  mistaken  as  to  the  effects 
of  the  opening  of  Hiogo  and  Osaka,  subsequent  events 
displayed  ;  and  those  events  fully  justified  the  measures 
taken  by  the  foreign  representatives  in  December  1861. 
We  have  ample  testimony  to  prove  that  the  postpone- 
ment of  the  opening  of  Yedo  and  the  other  places 
mentioned  in  the  Treaties,  was  as  unpalateable  to  the 
Ministers  as  it  was  to  the  merchants  ;  but  they  were  a 
little  more  conversant  with  what  was  going  on  behind  the 
scenes,  and  they  acted  wisely  in  taking  upon,  themselves 
the  responsibility  of  deferring  the  fulfilment  of  the  letter 
of  the  treaties  until  they  had  instructions  from  home. 
Mr.  ALCOCK  and  M.  DE  BELLECOUKT  published  simul- 
taneously the  notification  of  the  postponement  in  iden- 
tical terms.  The  English  notification  ran  as  follows  :— 

"  Whereas,  I,  the  undersigned  RUTHERFORD  ALCOCK  as 
being  Envoy-Extraordinary  and  Minister  Plenipotentiary 
for  Her  Majesty  the  Queen  of  Great  Britain  in  Japaii, 
have  authority  to  suspend  and  vary  the  provisions  of  the 
treaty  now  in  force  between  Her  Majesty  and  the 
Tycoon  of  Japan  :  And  whereas  by  an  Order  in  Council 


80  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

providing  to  the  exercise  of  Consular  jurisdiction  over 
British  subjects  in  Japan  under  6  and  6  Victoria,  Cap. 
24,  dated  the  28rd  of  January  1860,  power  is  given 
to  the  Consul-general  and  Consuls,  or  persons  duly 
authorised  in  such  capacities,  in  the  dominions  of  the 
Tycoon  of  Japan,  in  the  port,  place  or  district  in  which 
they  may  severally  reside,  to  make  rules  and  regulations 
for  the  peace,  order  and  good  government  of  Her  Majesty's 
subjects  being  within  the  dominions  of  the  aforesaid 
Tycoon,  and  for  the  observance  of  the  stipulations  of 
any  Treaty  or  Eegulation  appended  thereto,  made 
between  Her  Majesty,  Her  Heirs  and  successors,  and  the 
Tycoon  of  Japan. 

"  Be  it  known  that  I,  KUTHERFOED  ALCOCK,  Her  Ma- 
jesty's Envoy-Extraordinary,  Minister  Plenipotentiary 
and  Consul-General  in  Japan,  in  consideration  of  divers 
reasons  affecting  the  good  Government  of  Her  Majesty's 
subjects  in  Japan,  and  also  in  consideration  of  divers 
other  good  and  weighty  reasons,  do  hereby  make  the 
following  Rules  and  Regulations,  to  wit : — 

That  the  provision  for  the  opening  of  divers  ports  and 
places  on  and  after  the  1st  of  January  1862,  as  places 
of  residence  of  and  for  British  subjects,  and  for  purposes 
of  trade,  is  hereby  suspended  until  further  notice,  in  so 
far  as  respects  the  City  of  Yedo,  without  special  warrant 
and  authority  from  Her  Majesty's  Consul-General,  by  and 
with  the  consent  and  concurrence  of  the  Government  of 
the  Tycoon ;  and  that  any  infringement  of  this  rule  in 
the  meantime,  and  until  after  such  further  notice  as 
aforesaid  shall  render  the  offender  liable  to  be  dealt  witli 
according  to  the  laws  of  Japan  by  the  authorities 
appointed  by  the  Government  of  the  Tycoon,  in  the 
same  manner  as  if  the  said  City  of  Yedo  had  not  been 
included  or  mentioned  in  the  said  Treaty ;  and  further, 
that  no  such  offender  as  aforesaid  shall  have  any  claim  on 
Her  Majesty's  Minister,  or  on  any  Consul  in  Japan  for 
protection  from  the  consequences  of  any  such  offence. 

Given  under  my  hand  and  seal  this  twenty-seventh  day 
of  December,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  1861. 

(Signed)          RUTHERFORD  ALCOCK, 

Her  Majesty's  Envoy-Extraordinary, 
Minister  Plenipotentiary,  and  Consul- 
General  in  Japan, 


MR.  TOWNSEND  HARRIS  RELIEVED.  81 

On  the  8th  April  1862,  the  Portuguese  Treaty,  which 
had  been  originally  signed  on  the  3rd  August,  1860,  was 
formally  ratified  at  the  American  Legation  in  Yedo,  and 
delivered  to  Mr.  EDWARD  CLARKE,  H.  M.  F.  M.  Consul. 

On  the  10th  April,  at  an  adjourned  meeting  of  Land- 
renters,  presided  over  by  the  British  Consul,  a  Municipal 
Committee  was  formed,  who  at  once  proceeded  to 
organise  sub-committees  for  the  Streets,  Lighting, 
Bund  and  Jetties,  Police,  Nuisances,  and  Cargo-boats. 
Mr.  J.  W.  BROADBENT,  the  representative  of  the  firm  of 
Messrs.  GEO.  BARNET  &  Co.  was  elected  chairman. 

On  the  25th  April  the  HON.  E.  H.  PRUYN  arrived, 
to  relieve  the  HON.  TOWNSEND  HARRIS  as  Minister- 
Eesident  of  the  United  States.  With  him  also  came 
Mr.  GEORGE  S.  FISHER  to  replace  Mr.  E.  M.  DORR  as 
U.  S.  Consul,  and  Mr.  E.  E.  EICE,  who  was  to  be  the 
U.  S.  Commercial  Agent  at  Hakodate. 

As  Mr.  TOWNSENP  JjARRis  played  a  very  important  part 
in  opening  the  intercourse-  between  Japan  and  foreign  ; 
nations,  a  few  words  as  to  his  career  in  this  country  \ 
may  be  acceptable  to  those  of  my  readers  who  are  not 
well  acquainted  with  it. 

He  arrived  here  in  August  1856,  and  a  residence  was 
provided  for  him  in  a  very  pleasantly  situated  temple  at 
Kakisaki,  near  Shimoda,  one  of  the  places  which  had 
been  named  in  Commodore  PERRY'S  treaty  as  a  trading 
port  for  Americans.  He  was  the  bearer  of  a  letter  from 
the  President  to  the  Tycoon,  and  requested  permission  to 
visit  Yedo  to  deliver  it  in  'person,  and  to  present  his 
credentials  as  Minister-Eesident  with  full  powers.  His 
request  was  not  complied  with.  But  Mr.  HARRIS  was  a 
man  of  patience,  of  temper  and  of  resolution.  He  had 
come  to  secure  and  foster  American  trade  with  Japan. 

VOL.  t  .T 


82  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

His  first  sight  of  Shimoda  and  its  harbour  showed  him 
its  impracticable  character  as  a  commercial  port ;  and  he 
determined  to  leave  no  effort  untried  by  which  he  could 
get  it  changed  for  a  better  one — if  possible  Yedo  itself ; 
or,  failing  that,  one  that  should  be  sufficiently  near  to 
the  great  city  to  secure  its  trade. 

At  that  time  Yedo  was  a  very  different  place  from 
what  it  has  since  become.  The  real  seat  of  government 
was  there.  The  hereditary  Generalissimo  of  the  Empire, 
virtually  exercising  imperial  powers,  and  supposed  by 
foreigners,  both  from  the  information  of  old  writers  and 
from  the  representations  of  all  officials,  and  indeed  of 
every  Japanese,  official  or  otherwise,  to  be  the  de  facto 
Emperor,  resided  there.  All  knew  that  at  Kioto,  then 
more  generally  called  Miaco  (the  metropolis),  there  wras 
a  mysterious  being  called  the  Mikado  ;  but  he  was  looked 
upon  by  the  people  as  too  holy  to  trouble  himself  with 
mundane  affairs ;  and  the  popular  belief  was  that  he 
lived  in  a  state  of  sublime  abstraction,  occupying  himself 
from  morning  to  night,  at  all  times  and  seasons,  in 
prayer  to  the  gods,  his  ancestors,  for  the  welfare  of 
Japan. 

In  very  truth,  it  wrould  be  easy  to  shew  that  this  was  far 
from  being  correct.  For  several  years  before  foreigners 
came  to  Japan,  the  most  powerful  territorial  princes, 
chafing  under  the  oppressive  government  of  the  Shoguns, 
had  commenced  an  active  opposition  to  it ;  and  roundly 
asserted  the  fact  that  the  Mikado  wras  the  true  and  sole 
sovereign  of  Japan. 

Seven  centuries  ago,  YORITOMO  had  succeeded  in 
immuring  the  real  Emperor  or  Mikado  at  Kioto  ;  whilst 
he,  receiving  his  authority  from  him,  ruled  the  nation 
arbitrarily,  establishing  his  government  at  Kamakura — 
that  pleasant  village  so  frequently  visited  by  excursionists 
from  Yokohama,  and  tourists  from  all  parts  of  the  world. 


THE  SHOGUNATE. — THE  DAIMIOS.  83 

YOEITOMO  made   it   a    great  city,   and    introduced  the 
system,  afterwards  confirmed  and  tightened  by  IYEYAS'— 
by  which  the  daimios  were  obliged  to  reside  for  stated 
periods  at  the  governmental  centre. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  17th  century,  the  Shogunate, 
after  having  passed  through  several  of  what  may  justly 
be  called  dynasties,  was  seized  by  the  powerful  Toku- 
gawa  prince  IYEYAS'  ;  whose  descendants  wielded  the 
sovereign  power  for  twelve  generations,  until  the  whole 
feudal  system  was  swept  away  by  the  revolution  of  1868, 
and  the  Mikado  became  once  more  the  active,  as  well  as 
the  nominal,  ruler  of  the  land. 

At  the  time  of  Mr.  HARRIS'S  arrival,  however,  the  old 
system  still  prevailed;  and  under  it  all  the  daimios, 
holding  their  territories  and  titles  from  the  Shogun,  were 
compelled  to  reside  in  Yedo  every  alternate  year,  keeping 
up  a  large  retinue  there  always,  and  leaving  their  wives 
and  families  there  even  when  they  themselves  visited 
their  own  dominions.  Thus  all  of  them  had  extensive 
yashikis,  which  served  as  residences  for  themselves  and 
the  chief  officials  of  their  clans,  and  barracks  for  the 
retainers  and  their  families.  Each  of  the  daimios  had 
more  than  one  of  these  yashikis ;  some  had  several :  the 
prince  of  Satsuma,  for  instance,  having  no  less  than 
nine.  There  were  over  260  of  these  territorial  chieftains, 
with  revenues  from  10,000  to  1,000,000  kokus  of  rice,  or, 
at  the  then  prices  of  rice  and  rates  of  exchange,  from 
£7,500  to  ,i'750,000  sterling  per  annum.  Their  retinues 
were  proportioned  to  these  nominal  revenues  ;  and  it  was 
said  that  the  Prince  of  KAOA  (the  richest,  with  a  revenue 
of  1,027,700  kokus),  and  the  Prince  of  Satsuma,  (the 
second  in  point  of  wealth,  with  710,000  kokus),  maintain- 
ed each  a  force  of  80,000  fully  equipped  lighting  men, 
of  whom  a  large  proportion  were  always  stationed  in 
Yedo.  It  is,  therefore,  well  within  the  mark  when  the 


84  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

population  of  the  city,  civil  and  military,  is  stated  at  over 
two  millions ;  and  it  is  quite  credible  that  it  may  have 
approached  the  generally  reported  number  of  three 
millions. 

As  yet  the  wants  of  these  people  were  few,  and  well 
supplied  from  their  national  resources  and  productions. 
They  had  seen  very  little  of  the  products  of  other  nations, 
and  knowing  nothing  of  them  were  (mite  content  to  be 
without  them.  But  Mr.  HARRIS  was  quite  alive  to  the 
fact  that  supply  creates  demand  quite  as  surely,  up  to  a 
certain  point,  as  that  demand  creates  supply.  He  be- 
lieved that  no  sooner  were  foreign  goods  brought  hither, 
their  uses  seen,  and  their  cheapness  realised,  than  a 
demand  would  spring  up  for  them ;  and  under  any  cir- 
cumstances, there  were  certain  commodities  that  Japan 
produced,  which  would  certainly  be  eagerly  bought  by 
foreigners.  His  mind,  therefore,  was  fully  made  up  that 
new  arrangements  must  be  agreed  to,  the  object  of  which 
should  be,  not  merely  friendship  and  mutual  kindness  to 
ships  visiting  the  coasts,  but  commerce ;  with  all  the 
necessary  facilities  for  carrying  it  on  with  the  native 
merchants  without  let  or  hindrance. 

In  the  Kinse  Shiriftku,  translated  from  the  Japanese 
by  Mr.  E.  M.  SATOW,  of  H.  B.  M's  Legation,  will  be 
found  the  account  of  Mr.  HARRIS'  proceedings,  written  by 
an  intelligent  Japanese  official,  who  served  both  under 
the  old  and  new  governments.  It  is  sufficient  here  to  state 
that  after  repeated  efforts  to  obtain  permission  to  visit 
the  Shogun  in  Yedo,  and  encountering  direct  refusals, 
rejecting  "every  possible  art"  used  "in  order  to  dis- 
suade him  from  his  project,"  he  "  would  not  listen,  and 
it  (the  government)  had  no  resource  but  to  give  way." 
Written  protests  were  sent  in  by  the  leading  daimios  and 
the  Council;  but,  in  spite  of  all,  Mr.  HARRIS  "  eventually 
reached  Yedo  in  the  9th  month  (Oct.  17 — Nov.  15.)  He 


DEMANDS  OP  ME.  HARRIS.  85 

"  had  an  interview  with  the  Shogun  and  presented  his 
credentials :  after  which  he  withdrew  and  returned  to  his 
lodgings.  Shortly  afterwards  he  had  an  interview 
with  the  Ministers,  and  briefly  stated  his  demands. 
These  were,  unrestricted  trade  between  the  merchants 
of  both  countries  in  all  articles  except  gold  and 
cereals,  without  any  official  interference ;  the  closing 
of  Shimoda,  and  the  opening  of  Kanagawa  and 
Ozaka ;  the  residence  of  a  minister  plenipotentiary  at 
Yedo,  to  settle  all  diplomatic  questions,  and  the  con- 
clusion of  a  treaty  in  detail,  to  be  ratified  by  the  Japa- 
nese Government." 

It  is  generally  supposed  that  Mr.  HAKEIS  obtained  all 
his  demands  simply  by  his  patience,  perseverance  and 
gentle  consideration  for  the  Japanese.  If  the  plain 
truth  be  told,  although  these  qualities  did  much  for  him, 
they  were  not  more  conspicuous  in  him  than  in  other 
ministers  of  foreign  nations  who  subsequently  came  upon 
the  scene,  and  whose  patience  and  gentleness  were  put 
to  an  infinitely  greater  strain  than  he  was  ever  subjected 
to.  This  by  the  way.  The  fact  is  only  mentioned  here, 
that  when  the  proper  time  comes  in  the  course  of  our 
narrative,  it  may  be  remembered. 

It  is  the  misfortune  of  England,  that,  in  the  far  East, 
the  protection  of  her  extensive  commerce  has  thrown 
upon  her  the  principal  portion  of  the  burden  of  clearing 
obstructions,  and  of  opening  up  and  carrying  on  the  in- 
tercourse with  the  jealous  and  exclusive  inhabitants  of 
these  highly  favoured  regions.  In  China,  England 
wrought,"and  other  nationalities  reaped  the  benefit  of  her 
labours  ;  but  in  1857-8  the  French  and  English  combined 
to  punish  the  bad  faith  of  the  Celestial  Emperor  and  his 
ministers ;  and,  at  Tientsin,  dictated  their  own  terms. 

Mr.  HARRIS  was  too  astute  a  diplomatist  to  allow  such 
an  opportunity  to  pass.  With  consummate  tact  he 
availed  himself  of  the  successes  of  the  allies  in  China  to 
effect  his  long  cherished  purpose. 


86  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

A  writer  in  a  New  York  paper,  in  a  long  letter  on  the 
siibject  of  Mr.  HARRIS  as  American  Minister  in  Japan, 
says : — 

"Caution  and  forbearance  are  essential  qualities  in  the 
management  of  official  relations  with  the  government  and 
people  of  Japan.  Mr.  HARRIS  seemed  to  understand  their 
national  character  by  intuition.  In  every  effort  he  has 
made  to  obtain  amelioration  of  the  hard  conditions  of  the 
first  American  Treaty,  he  has  been  signally  successful ; 
and  up  to  the  present  time  he  has  enjoyed  the  entire 
confidence  of  the  ruling  princes,  and  exercised  an  in- 
fluence over  the  minds  of  the  people  never  before  pos- 
sessed by  any  foreign  resident. 

"  These  facts  are  remarkable,  and  conclusively  show 
that  good  results  have  come  from  the  upright  and 
honorable  course  pursued  by  Mr.  HARRIS,  while  in  other 
quarters  so  different  a  feeling  had  been  awakened  that 
revolt  and  murder  have  ensued." 

Acknowledging  as  I  do,  the  great  talents  of  Mr.  HARRIS, 
and  the  services  that  he  performed  in  inserting  and 
driving  home  the  wedge  which  opened  the  doors  of  Japan 
to  foreigners,  and  admitting  the  respect  with  which  any- 
thing emanating  from  Mr.  P.  M.  WETMORE  in  connection 
with  trading  interests  in  the  far  East  should  be  received, 
it  is  impossible  to  pass  over  the  Imnkiim  of  these 
paragraphs.  For  what  were  the  means  adopted  l>y  Mr. 
HARRIS  to  effect  the  insertion  of  the  wedge?  He,  as 
others  did  after  him,  became  impatient  of  delay.  The 
native  writer  already  quoted  says  :— 

"  In  the  2nd  month  (March  14 — April  12)  the  American 
HARRIS,  rendered  impatient  by  the  long  interval  that  had 
already  elapsed  without  anything  being  communicated  to 
him  about  the  Treaty,  threatened  that  if  his  time  was  to 
be  wasted  in  this  way,  he  would  proceed  forthwith  to 
Kioto  and  arrange  it  himself.  He  was  surprised,  after 
being  informed  that  Yedo  was  the  seat  of  government,  to 
find  such  dilatoriness  on  the  part  of  the  Bakufu,  and 
he  gave  it  a  certain  number  of  days  within  which  to 
make  up  its  mind." 


THE  TYCOON'S  CIRCULAR.  87 

Again  the  some  writer  tells  us : — 

"American  and  Russian  men-of-war  came  to  Yokohama 
and  gave  information  that  the  English  and  French 
squadrons  would  arrive  in  a  few  days  with  the  object  of 
concluding  a  treaty.  HARMS  took  advantage  of  this  to 
point  out  what  he  thought  the  best  course  for  them  to 
pursue,  and  to  urge  the  ratification  of  his  own  treaty." 

But  we  have  better  authority  still  for  what  led  to  the 
success  of  Mr.  HARRIS.  The  following  is  a 

"  Circular  from  the  Tycoon  dated  the  6th  month  of  the 
5th  year  of  Ansei  f  August  1858  J,  sent  by  order  of  Yamato- 
no-Kami  by  the  Ometski  Kouro  Kate  a  Sadjou. 

"  The  Mikado  having  been  consulted  by  the  Tycoon's 
government  about  the  making  of  Treaties  with  foreigners, 
he  answered  that  the  conclusion  of  that  matter  (the 
making  the  Treaties)  would  distress  him  very  much. 
Thereupon  the  Tycoon  requested  all  to  send  their 
written  opinion  upon  the  subject.  Only  a  short  time 
was  required  to  gather  together  everyone's  opinion,  but 
in  the  meantime  some  Russian  and  American  men-of- 
war  came  here  bringing  the  news  that  in  a  short  time 
English  and  French  men-of-war  would  arrive  here  :  that 
these  two  nations  had  fought  and  won  many  battles  in 
China :  that  they  would  come  here  in  the  same  warlike 
spirit,  and  it  would  be  difficult  for  us  to  negociate  with 
them.  The  American  ambassador  offered  to  us  that  if 
we  would  make  a  temporary  treaty  with  him,  as  soon  as 
we  should  have  signed  and  given  him  that  Treaty  he 
could  act  as  mediator  between  us  and  the  French  and 
English,  and  could  save  us  all  difficulties. 

"  It  was  impossible  for  us  to  comply  with  this  without 
consulting  the  Mikado.  However,  INOUYE  SHINANO-NO-KAMI 
and  IWASA  HIGO-NO-KAMI,  fearing  the  immediate  assault 
(or  breaking  out  of  a  war),  the  results  of  which  might  be 
the  same  as  in  China,  signed  themselves,  or  were 
authorised  to  sign,  the  American  Treaty,  at  Kanagawa, 
which  Treaty  was  given  up  to  the  American  ambassador. 

"  Necessity  compelled  the  Japanese  to  this. 

"  The  Mikado  on  hearing  of  this  was  much  troubled,  but 
to  reassure  him  we  told  him  we  would  fortify  our  shores. 

"  The  Tycoon  thought  there  was  the  necessity  of  con- 
cluding this  Treaty,  and  he  at  once  sent  to  the  Mikado 


,     VOUNG  JAPAN. 

the  messenger  that  everyone  should  fearlessly  express  his 
opinion  on  the  subject  to  the  Government." 

And  if  any  confirmation  of  the  above  be  required  it 
may  surely  be  gathered  from  the  American  Treaty  it- 
self:- 

"  The  President  of  the  United  States,  at  the  request  of 
the  Japanese  Government,  will  act  as  a  friendly  me- 
diator in  such  matters  of  difference  as  may  arise  between 
the  government  of  Japan  and  any  European  Power." 

From  this  will  be  understood  the  leverage  that  was 
brought  to  bear  by  the  adroit  minister.  But  it  is  almost 
too  much  of  a  joke  to  use  England  as  a  cat's-paw  to  pluck 
the  chestnuts  from  the  fire,  and  then  to  speak  of  the 
high  character  he  bears  among  the  Japanese,  and  to 
write  disparagingly  of  the  British. 

With  all  the  admiration  that  may  be  felt  for  the 
cleverness  of  the  minister,  the  generosity  of  the  man  can 
hardly  be  extolled  by  those  who  read  the  following 
extract  "from  one  of  his  letters,  informing  his  Govern- 
ment of  the  attack  on  the  British  Legation. 

No.  28.        Legation  of  the  United  States  in  Japan, 

Yedo,  9th  July  1861. 

SIR, — It  is  my  unpleasant  duty  to  inform  you  that  a 
daring  and  murderous  attack  was  made  on  the  British 
Legation  in  this  city  on  the  night  of  the  5th  instant. 
*********** 

I  consider  the  present  as  a  crisis  in  the  Foreign  Aftairs 
of  Japan,  for  if  the  Government  be  too  weak  to  punish 
the  instigators  and  agents  of  this  nefarious  aifair  it  may 
be  believed  that  it  will  lead  to  some  very  decided  action 
on  the  part  of  the  English  Government,  for  the  outrage 
was  too  great  to  be  overlooked. 

"  There  is  a  party  in  this  country  who  are  opposed  to 
the  presence  of  any  foreigners  in  Japan,  and,  in  addition 
to  this  there  is  a  very  strong  dislike  to  the  English  in 
particular,  which  feeling  seems  to  attach  especially  to 
Mr.  ALCOCK.  He  was  absent  from  this  city  for  some 
three  months,  during  which  time  the  utmost  quiet  pre- 


JAPANESE  HATRED  OP  FOREIGNERS,  UNIVERSAL.          89 

vailed ;  yet  within  36  hours  of  his  return  the  attack  in 
question  was  made  on  him. 

"I  am  happy  to  say  that  these  prejudices  do  not 
extend  to  our  citizens  in  this  country,  and  I  think  I  am 
personally  popular  among  all  classes  of  the  Japanese." 

Mr.  HARRIS  may  have  been  correct  as  to  his  personal 
popularity;  but  as  for  the  dislike  to  the  British  in 
particular  at  that  period  of  our  intercourse,  it  is  a  very 
gratuitous  assertion,  and  very  unlikely  to  have  been 
founded  on  fact.  No  special  cause  had  been  given  by 
Englishmen  as  distinguished  from  other  foreigners  for 
such  marked  aversion;  and  judging  by  the  manner  in 
which  the  Japanese  assassins  and  incendiaries  had 
distributed  their  favours,  it  would  not  appear  that  any 
one  nationality  more  than  another  could  claim  the 
honour  of  being  most  prominent  in  the  national  hatred. 
Russians,  Dutch,  French  (in  the  person  of  M.  DE 
BELLECOURT'S  valet),  Portuguese  (Mr.  LOUREIRO'S  servant, 
who,  by  the  way,  was  a  Chinese),  Mr.  HARRIS'S  own 
interpreter,  Mr.  HEUSKEN,  had  all  felt  the  keenness 
of  the  Japanese  sword  before  the  attack  on  Mr.  ALCOCK'S 
Legation ;  and  subsequently,  the  U.  S.  Legation  shared 
the  same  fate  as  did  the  French  and  English,  in  being 
burnt  to  the  ground,  not  accidentally.  These  facts,  and 
the  murderous  attacks  on  Japanese  daimios  who  were 
favourable  to  foreigners,  (including  the  assassination  of 
the  Regent  Ii  KAMON-NO-KAMI)  and  the  burning  of  the 
Tycoon's  palace,  should  suffice  to  shew  that  no  foreigner 
could  cast  a  stone  at  another.  It  was  not  individual 
foreigners  that  were  hated,  but  the  whole  race  of  them ; 
and  all  Japanese,  whether  high  or  low,  who  favoured  them. 
It  is  certainly  possible  that  Mr.  ALCOCK  may  have  been 
a  marked  man  among  them,  for  none  was  obliged  to  play 
so  prominent  a  part  as  he  did.  The  French  minister, 
indeed,  always  acted  with  him,  thus  laying  himself  open, 
in  some  degree,  to  the  same  measure  of  popularity  or 

VOL.  i  K 


90  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

the  reverse;  but  the  great  onus  rested  on  the  British 
minister,  and  Mr.  HARRIS,  differing  with  him  in  policy, 
kept  quiet  in  his  secluded  temple  at  Asabu,  and  escaped 
much  of  the  danger  that  constantly  attended  his  more 
active  colleagues.  As  to  the  remark  of  Mr.  HARRIS  that 
during  Mr.  ALCOCK'S  absence  of  three  months  from  Yedo, 
there  was  perfect  quiet,  that  proves  nothing.  The 
French  minister  was  also  absent  during  the  same  period, 
and  the  same  inference  might  as  justly  be  applied  to 
him. 

Thus  much  I  have  thought  it  right  to  say,  in  noticing 
the  departure  from  Japan  of  Mr.  HARRIS.  He  was  an 
excellent  minister  for  his  own  country  ;  and  very  useful 
in  aiding  others  in  making  the  treaties  they  sought. 
Lord  ELGIN,  Count  EULENBERG  and  the  Portuguese 
Envoy,  all  handsomely  acknowledged  the  valuable  as- 
sistance he  rendered  them.  That  he  understood  the 
Japanese  character  thoroughly,  and,  in  general,  dealt  up- 
rightly with  them,  is  undeniable.  He  will  readily  be 
pardoned  for  the  riisc  he  played  off  upon  them  by  which 
he  succeeded  in  getting  his  Treaty  signed,  even  though  it 
was  calculated  to  create  a  strong  prejudice  against 
England  and  France  in  the  minds  of  the  already  incensed 
and  frightened  Japanese.  It  is  only  to  be  regretted 
that  he  never  attempted  to  dispel  the  unpleasant  feeling 
then  engendered ;  but  seems  from  his  letter,  rather  to 
observe  with  a  grim  satisfaction  the  fancied  dislike  of  the 
Japanese  to  the  British  residents  and  their  minister,  as 
distinguished  from  the  personal  favour  of  the  Japanese 
towards  himself. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

AMUSEMENTS     OF     FOREIGNERS. RACES. — INDICATION     OF 

JAPANESE    DESIRE      FOR     PROGRESS. — ESTABLISHMENT   OF     A 
COLLEGE  IN  YEDO  FOR  FOREIGN  LANGUAGES,  HISTORY,  SCIENCE, 

&C. NEWS    RECEIVED    OF    POSTPONEMENT    OF    OPENING    THE 

TREATY  PORTS. — DISSATISFACTION. — ARRIVAL  OF  LIEUT. - 
COLONEL  ST.  JOHN  NEALE. — OFFER  OF  GOVERNOR  OF  KANAGAWA 

TO    ALLOT     BLUFF     LAND    FOR     FOREIGNERS*     RESIDENCES. 

REJECTION  ON  PLEA  OF    ITS  BEING    TOO  LIMITED. MURDER  OF 

TWO    MARINES    AT  H.  B.  M.'s  LEGATION,  YEDO. — REAL    DESIRE 

OF     JAPANESE     GOVERNMENT     TO      PROTECT      FOREIGNERS. 

THWARTED  BY  DISAFFECTED  DAIMIOS,  RONINS,  &C. — CASUALTIES 
ENDURED  BY  THEMSELVES  IN  OUR  CAUSE. — CONSTANT  BLOOD- 
SHED.— FOREIGNERS,  IGNORANT  OF  THE  REAL  FACTS,  HAD 
GROUNDS  FOR  DISCREDITING  STATEMENTS  MADE  TO  THEM. — 
MARRIAGE  OF  THE  SHOGUN  TO  THE  SISTER  OF  THE  MIKADO. — 
MISSION  OF  OHARA  AS  SPECIAL  ENVOY  FROM  THE  MIKADO  TO 
THE  SHOGUN. — ACCOMPANIED  BY  SHIMADZU  SABURO,  FATHER 
OF  PRINCE  SAT8UMA. — DOUBTS  AS  TO  BHIMADZU'S  ANIMOSITY 
AGAINST  FOREIGNERS. — INCIDENT  AT  HIMEJI — RONINS  DEMAND 
HIS  LEADERSHIP  IN  THE  EXPULSION  OF  FOREIGNERS. 

AMID  all  the  troubles  and  dangers  that  accompanied 
residence  in  Japan  in  the  earlier  days  it  was  no  part  of 


92  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

the  policy  of  foreigners  to  curtail  their  enjoyments. 
Although  in  making  excursions  into  the  country  around 
the  settlement,  within  the  limit  of  the  ten  ri  assigned  by 
treaty,  it  was  usual  to  carry  revolvers,  it  was  rather  that  the 
dangerous  class  might  be  deterred  from  assaulting  them 
by  the  knowledge  that  they  carried  arms,  than  from 
apprehension  of  having  to  use  them.  Occasions  did 
sometimes  occur  which  called  for  their  being  resorted  to 
in  self-defence ;  but  they  were  not  frequent. 

Within  the  settlement  public  amusements  of  any 
kind  were  as  yet  rare ;  but,  of  course,  there  could  be  no 
congregation  of  foreigners  in  the  East  without  its  perio- 
dical race-meetings.  In  1862  a  race-course  was  formed 
on  the  newly  filled-in  Swamp  Concession.  It  was  the 
best  that  could  be  obtained,  and  on  the  application  of  the 
English  and  Dutch  Consuls,  the  Governor  of  Kanagawa 
allowed  a  portion  of  the  ground  to  be  fenced  in  and 
prepared  for  two  days  racing.  It  was  about  three 
quarters  of  a  mile  round.  The  prizes  were  moderate  as 
compared  with  those  of  the  present  day ;  but  of  all  the 
old  friends  and  acquaintance  who  figured  as  owners  then, 
only  one  remains  with  us — Mr.  MORRISON,  the  spirited 
owner  of  the  Tartan  stable. 

In  May  1862,  the  Japanese  Government  gave  an 
important  indication  of  their  desire  to  place  themselves 
on  an  equal  footing  with  foreigners.  They  commenced 
the  erection  of  a  college  in  Yedo,  for  the  instruction  of 
students  in  foreign  languages,  history,  and  the  sciences. 

The  news  which  reached  Japan  this  month,  that  the 
Home  Government,  on  the  recommendation  of  Mr. 
ALCOCK,  had  consented  to  postpone  the  opening  of  the 
other  Treaty  Ports  for  five  years,  was  received  by  the 
foreign  residents  with  much  dissatisfaction  ;  but  judging 
after  the  event,  aiitl  by  the  consequences  that  attended 


MORE  MURDERS  AT  THE  BRITISH  LEGATION.  93 

the  opening  of  Osaka  and  Hiogo  in  1868,  few  will  be 
disposed  now  to  question  the  judiciousness  of  the  step. 

Lieut.  Colonel  St.  JOHN  NEALE  arrived  this  month  and 
assumed  the  duties  of  H.B.M.  Charge  d' Affaires. 

At  this  time,  whilst  the  Mikado  was  constantly  order- 
ing the  Shogun  to  close  Yokohama  and  drive  the  ugly 
foreign  barbarians  away,  and  as  frequently  receiving  his 
promise  that  it  should  be  done,  the  Governor  of  Kana- 
gawa  was  actually  offering  to  allot  25,000  tsubos  of  land 
on  the  Bluff  .for  foreign  residences.  The  residents,  how- 
ever, considered  so  limited  a  space  quite  inadequate  for 
the  wants  of  the  community,  and  suggested  that  the 
boundary  should  be  extended  to  cover  not  less  than  the 
face  of  the  whole  Bluff,  from  the  Canal  to  Treaty  Point, 
and  backward  from  the  sea  to  a  width  not  less  than  that  of 
the  foreign  settlement — a  space  just  about  equal  to  that 
subsequently  appropriated  for  the  purpose  in  1867. 

On  the  morning  of  the  27th  June,  just  twelve 
months,  (according  to  the  Japanese  calendar),  from 
the  attack  on  the  British  Legation  which  has  been 
already  described,  a  second  assault  was  made  within  the 
same  precincts,  by  which  two  marines — the  corporal  of 
the  guard  and  another  from  H.  M.  S.  Eenard,  lost  their 
lives.  It  seems  hardly  worthy  of  the  name  of  a  second 
attack  on  the  Legation ;  for,  so  far  as  was  ever  ascer- 
tained, it  was  the  work  of  one  man  only.  Since  the 
former  attack,  when  the  Japanese  guard  appointed  by 
the  Government  for  the  minister  and  his  attaches  so 
signally  failed  in  their  duty,  an  English  guard  had  been 
availed  of  in  addition  to  that  still  provided  by  the 
Government.  At  this  time  it  consisted  of  80  men ; 
namely,  of  the  Military  Train  12  men  under  Lieut. 
APPLIN,  and  68  marines  from  H.  M.  S.  Renard,  under 
Captain  BINGHAM  and  Lieuts.  EDWARDS  and  WARREN. 
The  Japanese  guard  consisted  of  500  men,  not  one  of 


YOUNG  JAPAN. 

whom  was  wounded.  The  corporal  of  the  guard  was 
going  his  rounds,  when  he  was  suddenly  attacked  and 
speared  in  several  places.  He  managed  to  reach 
Colonel  NEALE'S  door,  where  he  fell  and  died.  The 
other  victim  was  the  sentry  at  the  door.  All  was  done 
so  quickly  and  quietly  that  not  one  of  the  guard  was 
aroused  until  all  was  over  and  the  perpetrator  of  the 
cruel  deed  had  made  his  escape.  On  enquiry,  it  turned 
out  that  he  was  one  of  the  native  guard.  The  next 
morning  he  was  missed  from  the  roll,  and  traced  to  his 
own  house,  where  he  was  found  to  have  committed 
hara-kiri.  Colonel  NEALE  asked  to  be  permitted  to 
examine  the  body  of  the  murderer.  He  was  told  that 
it  would  be  brought  to  the  Legation  compound ;  but,  as 
the  man  belonged  to  a  very  high  ;daimio,  it  would  be 
escorted  by  his  head  officer  and  a  large  retinue  and 
deposited  in  the  Temple.  This  Colonel  NEALE  objected 
to.  Ultimately  the  body  was  brought  and  deposited 
outside  the  gate,  but  not  seen  by  Colonel  NEALE.  The 
Japanese  asserted,  that  on  examination,  it  was  found  to 
have  at  least  one  ball  through  the  chest. 

This  deed  does  not  appear  to  have  had  any  further 
political  significance  than  as  indicating  the  general 
jealousy  of  the  samurai  against  foreigners. 

With  the  history  of  succeeding  years  plainly  laid 
bare  before  us,  any  reasonable  mind  must  come  to  the 
conclusion  that  the  Government  did  really  use  every 
effort  in  its  power,  to  act  faithfully  up  to  the  spirit  of  the 
Treaties,  and  to  protect  foreigners  from  the  assaults  of 
the  lawless  desperadoes  who,  while  the  Mikado  and 
many  of  the  daimios  were  urging  on  the  Shogun  the  im- 
perative necessity  of  driving  us  away  and  closing  the 
already  opened  ports,  drew  their  swords  and  sought  to 
make  the  country  too  hot  for  us,  by  indiscriminate 
murder,  arson,  attacks  by  armed  bands  on  the  Legations, 


SACRIFICES  MADE  IK  BEHALF  OF  FOREIGNERS.  95 

and  by  causing  us  to  be  kept  in  continual  apprehension 
of  a  descent  upon  the  settlement  of  Yokohama  by  large 
bodies  of  ronins. 

Already  one  Shogun,  IYESADA,  who  had  been  in  power 
when  the  treaties  of  PERRY,  HARRIS  and  Lord  ELGIN,  were 
made,  had  been  sacrificed,  it  is  generally  believed,  on 
account  of  them.  His  successor,  IYEMOCHI,  a  boy  12 
years  of  age  when  he  was  called  upon  to  assume  the  re- 
sponsibilities of  government,  inherited  nothing  but 
trouble  from  the  first.  He  was  exalted  to  office  in  Sep- 
tember 1858 ;  and  though  the  Kegent,  Gotairo  Ii  KAMON- 
NO-KAMI,  was  the  real  actor  in  all  the  proceedings  that 
found  such  opposition  in  Kioto  and  among  the  most 
powerful  daimios,  yet  the  youthful  ruler  was  early  made 
to  bear  the  responsibility.  It  was  the  influence  of  Ii 
KAMON-NO-KAMI  that  induced  IYESADA  to  nominate  IYE- 
MOCHI as  his  successor,  in  opposition  to  the  wishes  of 
the  daimios  that  HITOTS'BASHI  should  be  so  named.  In 
January  1859,  the  Mikado  confirmed  the  nomination,  and 
formally  appointed  IYEMOCHI  to  the  office.  The  con- 
spiracies against  the  Shogunate  became  t  more  and  more 
numerous  and  more  and  more  difficult  to  deal  with. 
One  "  YOSHIDA  SHOIN,  of  Choshiu,  wrote  to  a  court 
noble,  OHARA  SHIGETAMI,"  (of  whom  more  presently),  in- 
viting him  down  to  Choshiu  in  order  to  get  up  an  agita- 
tion in  the  clan,  for  the  expulsion  of  the  barbarians,  and 
the  restoration  of  the  Mikado.  In  conflicts  between  the 
opponents  of  the  treaties  and  the  Shogun's  supporters, 
many  good  men  lost  their  lives,  and  blood  was  spilt  like 
water.  Ii  KAMON-NO-KAMI  was  himself  assassinated  by  a 
band  of  ronins  at  the  Sakurada  gate  of  the  castle,  within 
sight  of  his  own  residence,  as  has  already  been  told ; 
and  among  the  crimes  alleged  against  him  was  one,  that 
he  was  "  frightened  by  the  empty  threats  of  foreign 
barbarians  into  concluding  treaties  "  with  them,  without 


96  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

the  sanction  of  the  Mikado,  and  under  the  pretext  of 
political  necessity. 

From  this  time  onwards  hardly  a  day  seems  to  have 
passed  without  bloodshed  among  the  Japanese  on  account 
of  the  admission  of  foreigners ;  and  all  the  inimical  acts 
against  the  new-comers  were  but  as  a  drop  in  the  ocean 
as  compared  with  the  trouble  brought  on  the  Empire  by 
their  presence  in  Japan.  Of  all  this  foreigners  knew 
comparatively  little  at  the  time.  To  them  it  appeared 
that  the  Government  of  the  Shogun  was  vacillating, 
hostile  and  treacherous.  As  there  were  undoubtedly  oc- 
casions— important  ones  too — when  they  endeavoured  by 
a  distortion  or  hiding  of  facts  to  mislead  and  deceive  the 
foreign  ministers ;  to  keep  them  in  ignorance  of  what  was 
going  on,  or  to  give  a  false  colouring  to  what  could  not 
be  entirely  concealed,  it  became  a  settled  belief  that  they 
were  always  mendacious ;  never  to  be  relied  upon ;  that 
their  representations  as  to  the  difficulties  that  well-nigh 
overwhelmed  them,  and  which,  in  1868,  absolutely  did 
deprive  them,  as  a  government,  of  all  power,  and  force  their 
chief,  the  Shogun,  into  permanent  retirement,  were  mere 
subterfuges ;  and  that  the  appeals  for  delay  in  opening 
the  ports  of  Hiogo  and  Ni-igata  for  trade,  and  Yedo  and 
Osaka  for  residence,  were  made  in  the  hope  that  ultimately 
this  portion  of  the  treaties  might  be  abrogated  altogether. 

According  to  the  light  possessed  by  foreigners,  how- 
ever, their  suspicions  are  not  to  be  wondered  at.  Anyone 
reading  Sir  BUTHERFOKD  ALCOCK'S  book  "  Three  years  at 
the  Capital  of  the  Tycoon,"  must  admit  that  he  makes 
out  a  strong  case  for  very  much  more  vigourous  action 
than  he  ever  took,  and  that  with  all  the  provocation  he 
had,  his  measures,  and  those  of  his  diplomatic  colleagues 
who  held  the  same  views,  and  whose  policy  coincided  with 
his,  were  extremely  moderate. 

Coward  the  end  of  the  year  1861,  the  young  Shogun 


OHARA'S  MISSION  TO  THE  TYCOON.  97 

now  15  years  of  age,  had  the  sister  of  the  Mikado, 
KAZU-MIYA,  conferred  upon  him  in  marriage.  It  was  a 
purely  political  arrangement,  "to  show  to  the  world  that 
the  Imperial  family  and  the  house  of  TOKUGAWA  agreed  in 
their  political  views." 

And  now,  in  June  1862,  the  Shogun  being  only  in  his 
10th  3Tear,  a  special  Envoy  arrives  in  Yedo,  with  the 
Mikado's  command  that  he,  the  Shogun,  "  with  all  the 
daimios  great  and  small,"  should  repair  to  Kioto,  and 
there  "  ascertain  the  opinion  of  the  country,  expel  the 
barbarians,  and  so  calm  the  indignation  of  the  Mikado's 
divine  ancestry."  Orders  were  also  included  for  "  five 
of  the  great  daimios  to  be  consulted  as  chief 
ministers  upon  the  conduct  of  public  affairs,"  accord- 
ing to  the  Kinse  Shiriaku ,-  "to  make  the  sea-coast 
strong,"  according  ,to  the  Japan  Herald,  "so  as  to  be 
safe  against  foreign  men-of-war."  And  "  HITOTSUBASHI 
to  be  appointed  guardian  of  the  Shogun,  and  the  ex-prince 
of  ECHIZEN  to  be  made  chief  minister  of  state  "  as  re- 
ported in  the  Kinsf:  Shiriaku.  "  HITOTS'BASHI  to  be  vice- 
Shogun,  and  ECHIZEN  to  help  the  Shogun,  that  all  parties 
.  may  be  satisfied  ; "  as  translated  from  the  letter  delivered 
by  the  Envoy  and  published  in  the  Japan  Herald. 

This  mission  of  OHARA'S  led  to  important  and  un- 
fortunate consequences.  For  the  first  time  in  the  history 
of  the  country,  the  guard  of  an  Imperial  Envoy  was  not 
entrusted  to  the  Shogun's  troops,  but  to  those  of  the 
Prince  of  SATSUMA.  SHIMADZU  IDZUMI,  henceforward 
known  as  SHIMADZU  SABURO,  the  Mikado  having  just 
honoured  him  by  giving  him  this  name,  accompanied 
him.  SABURO  was  the  real  father  of  the  daimio  of  SATSUMA  ; 
but  the  previous  daimio,  his  brother,  having  adopted  the 
youth  as  his  son,  SABURO  was,  according  to  Japanese  law 
and  custom,  his  uncle — the  uncle  by  adoption  of  his  real 
son.  He  was,  however,  the  active  ruler  of  the  clan,  ancl 

VOL.  i  i> 


98  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

from  having  been  a  great  student  and  book-worm  in  early 
life,  he  had  now  changed  and  had  come  to  be  looked 
upon  as  one  of  the  cleverest  and  bravest  spirits  in  the 
nation.  He  was  one  of  those  who  had  been  most  earnest 
in  opposing  the  Yedo  government.  Yet  it  is  hard  to 
believe  that  he  was  seriously  or  violently  opposed  to 
foreigners  as  such ;  for  his  territories  were  in  the  im- 
mediate vicinity  of  Nagasaki,  the  only  port  that  for 
over  two  centuries  had  any  foreign  trade :  and  that  trade 
must  have  benefited  his  people.  Indeed,  it  was  given  out 
that  he  was  highly  indignant  with  the  Tycoon  for  having 
restricted  foreign  trade  to  ports  which  would  enrich  the 
TOKUGAWA  coffers  alone ;  and  that  he  was  eager  to  throw 
open  the  whole  of  the  SATSUMA  dominions ;  in  which, 
laudable  desire,  however,  he  was  thwarted  by  the  Yedo 
Government. 

Whilst  on  his  way  to  Kioto,  en  route  for  Yedo,  on  reach- 
ing Himeji  in  Harima,  an  incident  occured  which 
strengthens  my  belief  that  he  had  at  that  time  no  hostile 
intentions  against  foreigners.  One  HIKANO  JIRO  had 
collected  a  band  of  ronins,  about  two  hundred  in 
number,  and  wished  to  place  himself  and  his  band  under 
the  leadership  of  some  noble  of  kindred  spirit. 

In  Mr.  SATOW'S  translation  of  the  Kinsc  Shiriakn  we 
read : — 

"  They  were  on  the  look-out  for  an  ally  of  the  kind 
they  wanted,  when  they  heard  of  the  arrival  of  SHIMADZU 
IDZUMI  at  HIMEJI.  HIEANO,  who  was  aware  of  the 
intrepid  character  of  this  prince,  at  once  proceeded 
thither  with  his  men,  and  addressed  a  letter  to  him.  It 
said : — '  The  Bakufu  has  lately  been  treating  the  Mikado's 
orders  with  contempt,  and  has  concluded  treaties  with- 
out his  sanction.  The  empire  is  on  the  point  of  be- 
coming a  hell.  We  wish  therefore  to  get  you  to  become 
our  leader,  m  order  that  we  may  release  the  Court 
nobles  who  have  been  confined  in  consequence  of  the 
Bakufu's  displeasure,  seize  the  castles  of  Ozaka,  Hikone 


RONINS'  LETTER  TO  SHIMADZU  SABTJRO.  99 

and  Nijo,  send  orders  to  all  the  clans,  carry  the  Mikado 
to  Hakone,  punish  the  crimes  of  the  Shogun,  and  im- 
mediately afterwards  sweep  out  the  barbarians.  Pray 
take  our  request  into  your  gracious  consideration,  oh 
Prince,  and  grant  it.'  They  then  asked  him  to  forward 
their  letter  to  the  Imperial  Court.  Idzumi  felt  secretly 
alarmed  at  their  violence,  and  giving  an  evasive  answer, 
pacified  them  as  well  as  he  could.  Having  left  them  at 
the  town  of  Fushinii  he  went  on  to  Kioto,  and  sent 
Hirano's  letter  to  Konoye,  a  Court  noble.  The  Court 
was  so  frightened  at  the  seditious  style  of  the  letter,  that 
it  retained  IDZUMI  in  Kioto  to  keep  the  ronins  in  order. 
It  happened  that  the  ronins  at  Ozaka  and  some  Satsuma 
samurai  of  the  same  way  of  thinking,  heard  of  this,  and 
were  enraged  at  what  they  called  IDZUMI'S  temporizing 
policy.  Some  forty  or  fifty  started  for  Kioto  at  once, 
intending  to  put  pressure  on  him  and  proceed  to  action. 
On  receiving  this  news,  IDZUMI  sent  some  of  his  retainers 
to  stop  them  at  Fushimi,  and  to  persuade  them  to 
remain  quiet.  The  efforts  of  the  retainers  were  un- 
availing, and  after  a  long  dispute,  they  were  obliged  to 
use  force.  Numbers  were  killed  on  both  sides,  and  the 
town  became  the  scene  of  an  indescribable  commotion." 

This  was  the  man  of  whom  much  has  to  be  told  ; 
whose  name  was  for  a  long  time  a  byword  among 
foreigners  ;  and  whose  acts  led  to  results  direful  indeed 
to  his  clan,  and  hardly  less  so  to  the  Government  of 
the  Shogun. 

Whilst  in  Yedo  SHIMADZU  SABURO  purchased  an 
English  steamer,  the  Fiery  Cross,  for  his  son-nephew,  the 
Prince  of  Satsuma.  He  visited  Yokohama  and  went  a 
trial  trip  in  her ;  and  there  is  no  reason  to  imagine  that 
he  then  entertained  such  feelings  towards  foreigners  as 
should  lead  to  any  cruelty  to  them  ;  especially  as  on  that 
occasion  he  was  treated  most  cordially,  and  appeared  to 
appreciate  the  kindness  of  his  reception. 


REASON  FOR  THIS  INTERPOLATION. — THE  DAIMIO  OF 
SATSUMA. — SHIMADZU  SABURO. — HIS  SON  ADOPTED,  AND 
HIMSELF  APPOINTED  GUARDIAN  OF  THE  STATE.— ACTIVE  IN 
PUBLIC  AFFAIRS. — SCHEME  FOR  THE  UNIFICATION  OF  THE 
EMPIRE  UNDER  THE  MIKADO,  AND  THE  ADVANCEMENT  OF 

SATSUMA. VISITS      KIOTO. — PROCLAMATION    BEFORE    LEAVING 

KAGOSHIMA. — JEALOUSY  OF  DAIMIOS. — HIS  FIRMNESS. — PROF- 
FERED CO-OPERATION  OF  RONINS  IN  ATTACKING  FOREIGNERS. 

— HIS      REPLY. AGREES      TO      SEND    MESSENGERS    TO     THEM 

AT  FUSHIMI. — THEIR  DETERMINATION. — THE  INTERVIEW. — 
BRAVE  CONDUCT  OF  SATSUMA  MEN. — ITS  RESULTS. — SABURO 
PROCEEDS  WITH  HIS  PLANS  ;  AND  IS  SENT  BY  THE  MIKADO 
WITH  A  NOBLEMAN  OF  THE  IMPERIAL  COURT,  ON  A  MISSION 
TO  YEDO. 

THE  character  of  SHIMADZU  SABURO  has  been  so  freely 
handled  by  foreigners,  and,  (whether  rightly  or  wrongly 
will  never  be  known),  so  terribly  vilified,  that  1  venture  to 
introduce  bodily,  in  an  interpolatory  chapter,  a  most 
interesting  account  of  him,  and  of  the  incident  referred 
to  in  the  quotation  from  the  Kinsc  Shinaku  given  in  the 
preceding  chapter.  It  was  written  by  Mr.  E.  H.  HOUSE, 
published  in  a  pamphlet  entitled  Kagosliima,  .and 


SHIMADZU  SABUBO.  101 

is  inserted  with  his  permission.  I  doubt  not  the  main 
facts  were  imparted  to  him  by  none  other  than  SAIGO 
YOBIMICHI  himself,  who  plays  an  honourable  part  in  one 
incident  recorded. 

It  confirms  my  view  respecting  the  probable  animus  of 
SABUEO  towards  foreigners.  Mr.  HOUSE  writes : — 

The  daimio  of  Satsuma,  at  this  period,  was  one  who 
fully  shared  the  sentiments  of  his  race,  without  ever 
reaching  the  opportunity  of  acting  upon  them.  A  few 
words  only,  concerning  him,  are  necessary  to  explain  his 
relation  to  the  events  about  to  be  described.  He  was 
the  legitimate  inheritor  of  his  title  and  position,  but  he 
had  acceded  to  them  under  circumstances  of  much 
difficulty  and  confusion.  He  was  not  the  favorite  of  his 
father,  who  had  always  expressed  a  determination  to  be 
succeeded  by  a  younger  son,  the  offspring  of  a  concubine, 
whose  birth  would  not  necessarily  exclude  him  from  the 
inheritance.  This  younger  son  was  the  person  now 
known  as  SHIMADZU  SABURO.  The  project  was  energetic- 
ally opposed  by  many  powerful  clansmen,  and  one  of  the 
daimio's  secretaries,  who  openly  favored  it,  was  assassi- 
nated by  the  malcontents.  These  latter  were  speedily 
brought  to  trial  and  execution,  but  the  course  of  popular 
feeling  was  now  so  obvious  that  the  daimio  did  not 
venture  to  resist  it,  and,  at  his  death,  the  legitimate  son 
assumed  his  place. 

It  does  not  appear  that  the  younger  SHIMADZU  had 
taken  an  active  part  in  the  intrigue  of  which  he  was  the 
object,  but,  after  his  half-brother's  accession,  feeling 
himself  under  some  degree  of  suspicion,  or  perhaps 
really  being  so,  he  withdrew  from  public  notice,  and  led 
a  life  of  almost  rigorous  seclusion.  His  only  serious 
occupation  appeared  to  be  the  study  of  the  Chinese 
classics.  His  diversions  were  the  composition  of  Chinese 
poetry  and  trials  of  skill  in  games  of  chance.  He  was 


102 


YOUNG  JAPAN. 


not  generally  supposed  to  give  the  slightest  heed  to  the 
political  affairs  even  of  his  own  province,— much  less  to 
those  of  the  nation.  He  passed  to  a  mature  age  without 
ever  gaining  much  popular  deference  or  esteem,  and, 
while  among  men  he  was  spoken  of  with  careless  in- 
difference as  an  idle  recluse,  he  was  held  in  even  less 
respectful  consideration  by  the  youth  of  Kagoshinia,  in 
which  city  he  resided,  and  where  his  reputation  for 
stolidity  and  his  personal  peculiarities,  notably  his 
extreme  near-sightedness,  supplied  abundant  oppor- 
tunities for  juvenile,  and  probably  not  brilliant,  satire. 

The  brother  in  power  had  married,  but  was  without 
children.      Whether    he    had    formed    an    independent 
estimate  of  the  character  of  the  recluse,  or  not,  is  an 
open   question  ;  but,  in  his  last   days,  he  selected  the 
infant  son  of  the  latter  to  be  his  successor,  and  appointed 
SABURO  (then  known  by  another  name)  to  the  position  of 
guardian   of  the   state    [Kokufu.-]     In  1862,   this  long- 
secluded  nobleman  thus  became  the  actual,  though  not 
the  titular,  ruler  of  Satsuma.     To  the   amazement  of  I 
everybody,  he  at  oi^ce  renounced  the  inactivity  of  his  ! 
former  life,  and  devoted  himself  to  the  public  interests 
with  a  vigilance  and  an  industry  of  which  no  person  had 
supposed  him  capable.     Within  a  few  weeks  from  the 
time  when  the  power  of  the  province  was  placed  in  his 
hands,  he  had  conceived  and  commenced  the  execution 
of  a  scheme  which  had  for  its  double  object  the  unifica- 
tion of  the  empire  by  the  restoration  of  the  Mikado's 
dormant  rule  and  the  establishment   of  the   house   of 
Satsuma  in  the  front  rank  of  political  agencies.     It  is 
not  easy,  at  this  time,  to  decide  which  may  have  been 
the  more  potent  motive   in  his   mind.     His  adherents 
have  always  claimed  that  his  first  purpose  was  to  ensure 
the  re-organization  of  the  national  Government  upon  the 
only  basis  that  promised  an  enduring  security.     How- 


SHIMADZU  SABtmO  VISITS  KIOTO.  108 

ever  this  may  have  been,  it  is  certain  that  through  his 
exertions  and  those  of  the  allies  he  gathered  about  him 
at  different  times,  both  designs  were  accomplished  before 
six  years  had  passed.  The  Imperial  Court  resumed  the 
functions  which  it  had  failed  to  exercise  for  more  than 
six  centuries,  and  SHIMADZU  SABURO  was  hailed  as  the 
Warwick  of  the  day.  The  Tokugawa  line  was  even 
more  effectually  broken  than  he  had  proposed,  for  he 
had  at  first  looked  only  to  curtailments  and  limitations 
of  its  vast  dominion,  and,  in  the  earlier  civil  contests 
that  arose,  often  co-operated  with  its  leaders  for  the 
preservation  of  peace  in  the  Mikado's  capital.  But  the 
fortunes  of  the  Shoguns  could  not  outlast  the  struggle. 
When  the  last  of  the  dynasty  fell,  the  political  prestige 
of  the  family  expired,  and  such  power  and  influence  as 
could  be  wielded  by  one  man  alone  passed  into  SHIMADZU'S 
possession.  While  the  feudal  system  lasted,  his  pre- 
eminence was  plainly  acknowledged.  Even  after  its; 
destruction,  he  continued  to  hold  a  position  of  authoruVy 
which  no  other  representative  of  the  old  nobility  main- 
tained, or  pretended  to  emulate  in  the  remotest  degree, 
and  which  culminated  in  his  advancement  to  the  highest 
office,  with  a  single  exception,  that  is  filled  by  a 
Japanese  subject. 

Early  in  the  spring  of  1862,  SHIMADZU  resolved  to 
visit  Kioto,  for  the  purpose  of  submitting  his  plans 
directly  to  the  Mikado  or  his  chief  counsellors.  Aggres- 
sive acts  against  foreigners  formed  no  part  of  his 
calculations,  and  there  is  no  evidence  to  show  that  he 
looked  upon  their  expulsion  from  the  country,  or  even 
their  molestation,  as  the  necessary  outgrowth  of  his  pro- 
jects. There  is  evidence,  on  the  contrary,  that  he  used 
his  authority  to  prevent  deeds  of  violence  and  unsanctioned 
combinations  even  in  support  of  what  might  be  supposed 
to  be  his  policy.  Before  leaving  his  province,  he  issued 


104  YOUNOt  JAPAN. 

n  proclamation  to  his  retainers,  "  forbidding  them  to  ally 
themselves  with  the  ronins,"  (disaffected  agitators  and 
virtual  outlaws)  "  or  to  do  anything  without  the  instruc- 
tions of  their  superiors."  His  subsequent  orders, 
especially  applicable  to  the  Richardson  case,  will  appear 
hereafter.  His  self-imposed  mission  was  not  looked 
upon  with  much  favor  by  the  feudal  lords  in  general.  He 
was  accused  of  claiming  privileges,  in  the  matter  of  ask- 
ing audiences  and  tendering  advice,  that  did  not  properly 
belong  to  any  beneath  the  rank  of  daimio,  and  which, 
though  they  might  be  granted  to  his  son  (now,  legally, 
his  nephew  and  ward)  ought  not  to  be  expected  by  him- 
self. It  would  have  needed  much  stronger  remonstrances 
than  these  to  dissuade  him  from  his  purpose.  He 
declared  that  this  was  a  time  when,  if  traditions  stood  in 
the  way  of  the  public  welfare,  they  must  be  brushed  aside 
like  cobwebs.  Other  difficulties,  however,  beset  him  on 
his  way  to  Kioto,  from  which  he  could  not  so  easily  relieve 
himself.  The  most  embarrassing  of  these  was  the  prof- 
fered co-operation  of  a  troop  of  turbulent  ronins  who, 
assuming  that  his  principal  design  was  to  organize  an 
attack  upon  foreigners,  insisted  upon  accompanying  him 
and  taking  part  in  all  his  movements.  Appreciating  the 
necessity  of  avoiding  all  signs  of  disturbance  at  or  near 
the  Imperial  capital,  he  sent  for  the  leaders  of  the  party, 
eight  in  number,  and  gave  them  to  understand  that, 
whatever  might  be  the  merit  of  their  enterprise,  the  time 
for  executing  it  had  certainly  not  arrived,  and  that  the 
question  of  dealing  with  the  foreigners  was  one  that  must 
be  decided  in  the  future.  He  was  listened  to  with  im- 
patience, and  assured  that  if  he  would  not  accept  their 
services  they  would  go  to  Kioto  by  themselves,  and  seek 
for  authority  to  commence  operations  on  their  own 
account.  The  situation  was  critical,  for  it  was  plain  that 
these  desperate  men,  if  left  to  their  own  devices  would 


SHIMADZU  SABURO  AND  THE  RONTNS.  105 

create  a  tumult  in  the  capital  that  might  bring  discredit 
upon  SHIMADZTJ'S  whole  action.  The  manner  in  which 
he  suddenly  resolved  to  deal  with  it  is  worth  relating  in 
detail,  as  illustrating  the  resolute  character  of  the  man, 
and  as  showing  incidentally,  to  what  lengths  he  was  pre- 
pared to  go  in  preventing,  at  this  time,  instead  of  inciting, 
onslaughts  upon  strangers.  The  story  has  never  heen 
made  public,  although  it  is  vaguely  touched  upon  in 
Kinse  Shiriaku,  and  reproduced  from  that  source,  with 
certain  variations  that  show  a  slight  misapprehension  of 
the  circumstances,  in  Mr.  ADAMS'S  History  of  Japan. 

He  announced  that  he  would  make  no  promises  as  to 
their  adoption  into  his  service,  but  agreed  to  send  mes- 
sengers to  them,  within  a  reasonable  time  after  his 
arrival  in  Kioto,  who  would  consult  with  them  and 
convey  his  final  decision.  The  ronins  agreed  to  wait, 
and  halted  at  the  town  of  Fusinii,  a  few  miles  distant 
from  Kioto.  At  the  same  time  they  declared  their 
determination  not  to  be  thwarted,  and  their  firm  inten- 
tion to  advance,  even  against  his  injunction,  if  they 
could  not  receive  his  authorization.  The  next  day, 
SHIMADZU  selected  eight  of  his  most  trusted  followers,  in 
whose  diplomatic  address  and  faculties  of  persuasion  he 
had  great  confidence,  and  who  had  also  proved  them- 
selves the  most  expert  swordsmen  in  his  suite.  These  he 
directed  to  return  to  the  rendezvous ;  to  hold  a  parley 
with  the  insurgent  leaders  ;  to  convince  them,  by  argu- 
ment if  possible,  of  the  impracticability  of  their  course, 
but  at  all  hazards  to  prevent  them  from  proceeding  in 
their  rebellious  career.  To  Japanese  vassals  as  devoted 
as  those  of  SATSTJMA,  no  further  suggestions  were  needed. 
They  reached  Fusimi  late  in  the  evening  and  found  the 
greater  number  of  the  ronins  in  a  large  house  of  public 
entertainment.  The  leaders  joined  them  in  a  small 
room  on  the  ground  floor,  while  the  others  continued 

VOL.  i  M 


106  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

their  carousals  above.  Before  arriving,  the  principal  of 
the  SATSUMA  retainers  had  arranged  his  plan  and  com- 
municated it  to  his  subordinates.  Every  effort  should  be 
made  to  bring  the  malcontents  to  reason  by  straight- 
forward representations  of  the  designs  of  their  master, 
and  by  earnest  exhortations  that  the  disorderly  cam- 
paign they  contemplated  should  be  abandoned.  If  these 
should  fail,  the  conference  could  end  only  in  a  quarrel, 
in  which  event,  the  position  and  duty  of  seven  of  the 
SATSUMA  participants  was  distinctly  laid  down.  The 
lights  were  to  be  simultaneously  extinguished,  each  man 
was  to  plant  himself  at  a  given  distance  from  his 
neighbors,  to  drop  upon  one  knee,  and  to  sweep  the  space 
above  his  head  with  his  drawn  sword.  The  head  of  the 
party,  NARABAKA,  would  spring  to  the  nearest  corner, 
where  he  would  be  protected  from  assault  in  the  rear  or 
directly  from  the  sides,  and  would  attack  in  the  dark  any 
that  should  approach  him.  These  precautions  would 
not  have  been  enjoined  if  an  encounter  upon  anything 
like  even  terms  had  been  anticipated;  but  the  ronins 
were  several  hundred  in  number,  and  it  was  only  through 
the  application  of  some  such  strategy  that  the  eight 
leaders  could  by  any  chance  be  disposed  of.  In  case  of  a 
general  conflict,  some  of  them  would  have  been  almost 
sure  to  escape,  and  the  mission  of  the  retainers  would 
have  failed.  It  was  foreseen  that,  in  the  tumult,  some 
of  the  inferior  ronins  would  rush  to  assist  their  chiefs, 
and  join  in  the  melee  before  the  work  of  destruction  could 
be  thoroughly  carried  out ;  hence  the  necessity  of  having 
the  advantage  of  darkness  and  pre-organization  on  the 
side  of  the  militant  envoys. 

The  interview  in  the  tea-house  was  long  and  earnest. 
NARABARA  and  his  companions  were  sincere  in  their 
efforts  to  settle  the  affair  without  violence,  as,  indeed, 
they  were  bound  by  their  instructions  to  do,  if  any  means 


THE  SATSUMA  MESSENGERS  AND  THE  RONINS.  107 

could  be  discovered.'  For  more  than  two  hours  they 
exerted  such  arguments  and  eloquence  as  they  could 
command  to  persuade  the  adventurers  to  disband  the 
troop  and  return  to  their  homes.  These  endeavors  were 
totally  ineffectual.  Having  advanced  so  far,  the  in- 
surgents declared,  they  could  not  and  would  not  recede- 
If  SHIMADZU  would  lead  them  to  the  fulfilment  of  their 
schemes,  they  would  gladty  exterminate  the  foreigners 
under  his  banner.  If  not,  they  would  undertake  the 
task  in  their  own  way.  Moreover,  they  were  convinced 
that  the  real  spirit  of  the  SATSUMA  clan  was  in  sympathy 
with  them,  in  spite  of  all  that  the  Kokufu  might  say. 
Several  SATSUMA  men  had  joined  them  within  a  few 
hours,  and  were  heartily  in  unison  with  their  plot.  The 
discussion  terminated  in  confusion  and  high  words,  as 
had  been  more  than  half  anticipated.  At  a  signal  from 
NARABABA  the  paper  lanterns  that  hung  around  the  walls 
were  thrown  to  the  ground  and  trampled  upon.  The 
swords  of  all  were  instantly  drawn.  The  SATSUMA  leader 
darted  to  his  corner,  proclaiming  his  name  and  inviting 
attack  by  loud  cries.  His  seven  associates  fell  on  their 
knees,  and,  in  rigid  silence,  dealt  fatal  blows  upon  all 
that  came  within  reach  of  their  weapons.  The  ronins 
above,  warned  by  the  clamor  of  the  chiefs,  struggled  to 
descend  to  their  aid,  but  the  ladders  of  communication 
had  been  removed.  A  few  sprang  from  the  windows  and 
mingled  blindly  and  ineffectively  in  the  obscure  affray. 
In  less  than  five  minutes  from  the  time  that  the  signal 
was  given,  the  swords  of  the  Satsuma  men  passed 
through  the  air  without  resistance.  NARABAHA  called  to 
his  followers  by  name,  and  all  but  one  replied.  A  light 
was  struck,  and  its  first  ray  revealed  the  bodies  of  eleven 
ronins  and  one  of  SHIMADZU'S  messengers,  stretched 
lifeless  upon  the  floor. 

But  the  end  of  this  extraordinary  encounter  had  not  yet 


108 


YOUNG  JAPAN. 


come.  The  scene  that  followed,  though  unattended  by 
desperate  strife  or  bloodshed,  was  even  more  startlingly 
dramatic.  Yielding  suddenly  to  an  inspiration  that 
could  have  had  no  prevision  in  his  sober  calculations, 
NAKABARA,  without  waiting  to  apprise  his  companions  of 
his  intention,  cast  away  his  sword,  threw  off  his  upper 
garments  to  show  that  he  was  now  defenceless,  and, 
clambering  up  to  the  apartment  above,  flung  himself, 
half  naked,  among  the  amazed  and  excited  ronins,  and 
fell  upon  his  hands  and  knees  with  a  salutation  that  was 
at  the  same  time  a  gesture  of  appeal  for  momentary  for- 
bearance. Before  they  could  recover  from  their  surprise, 
he  had  rapidly  related  the  whole  story  of  what  had 
occurred  below,  and  begged  to  be  heard  in  justification. 
The  nearest  of  those  who  heard  his  words  sought  to 
destroy  him  without  ceremony,  but  a  young  man  from 
Satsuma,  who  had  lately  joined  the  troop,  abruptly 
confronted  them,  and,  placing  himself  defiantly  before 
the  prostrate  body,  proclaimed  that  he  would  protect  the 
unarmed  suppliant  with  his  own  life  until  he  should 
obtain  a  hearing.  In  moments  of  critical  suspense  like 
this,  a  sudden  demonstration  of  superior  boldness  is 
sure  to  carry  all  before  it.  Those  who  had  hastened 
to  avenge  their  leaders  now  instinctively  yielded, 
and  signified  their  willingness  to  listen.  NAEABAKA 
at  once  declared  that  he  did  not  mean  to  plead 
for  himself,  and  that  if,  after  having  received  his  ex- 
planation, they  were  still  determined  to  pursue  their 
course,  his  body  was  at  their  disposal.  He  then  hastily 
repeated  the  arguments  he  had  used  below,  and  said 
that,  although  he  had  failed  to  convince  the  chiefs,  who 
were  prepared  with  a  regular  and  carefully  contrived 
plan,  his  representations  should  surely  have  weight  with 
the  subordinates,  who,  left  in  ignorance  of  how  to  pro- 
ceed, without  commanders  of  experience  or  tried  ability, 


GALLANTRY  OF  NARABARA.  109 

and  thrown  into  hopeless  confusion  at  the  moment  when 
decision  and  unanimity  were  most  needed,  could  not 
contend  against  the  forces  which  SHIMADZU  would  be 
able  to  array  against  them.  As  to  what  he  had  himself 
done,  every  Japanese  samurai  knew  that  it  was  simply 
his  duty,  and  the  men  of  Satsuma,  above  all,  would 
applaud,  rather  than  condemn  him  for  the  fidelity  and 
thoroughness  with  which  he  had  fulfilled  his  mission. 
An  appeal  of  this  kind,  made  under  circumstances  that 
attested  the  fearlessness  and  faith  of  the  speaker,  and 
addressed  to  an  audience  composed  of  soldiers,  who, 
whatever  their  other  errors,  had  been  trained  to  respect 
courage  and  devotion  as  the  highest  of  human  virtues, 
could  not  be  ineffective.  It  was,  in  fact,  triumphant. 
In  admiration  of  his  gallantry,  NARABARA  was  suffered  to 
go  free.  In  acknowledgment  of  the  force  of  his  reason- 
ing, the  ronins  admitted  the  feebleness  of  their  position, 
under  the  new  state  of  affairs,  and  pledged  themselves 
to  disperse  without  delay.  The  ready  resolution  of 
SHIMADZU,  acting  through  the  strong  arm  of  NARABARA 
and  his  associates,  had  cut  the  knot  of  disaffection  and 
mutiny  with  a  single  blow. 

Thus  relieved  of  his  most  pressing  embarrassment, 
and  no  longer  imperilled  by  the  "entangling  alliance" 
of  a  riotous  mob,  the  Satsuma  chieftain  proceeded  freely 
to  the  execution  of  his  purposes.  It  is  not  essential  to 
recount  these  purposes  in  detail.  Th.ey  all  tended  to  the 
restoration  of  the  national  power  into  the  hands  of  the 
Mikado,  and  the  subordination,  though  not  necessarily 
the  extinction,  of  the  Yedo  Government.  It  does  not 
appear  that  the  adoption  of  violent  measures  against 
foreigners  was  ever  advocated  or  suggested  by  him.  His 
representations  were  so  effective  that  in  the  course  of  a 
month  he  was  sent  to  Yedo,  together  with  a  nobleman  of 
the  Imperial  Court,  to  communicate  the  determination 


110  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

that  had  been  taken  by  the  supreme  authority  of  the 
land.  Having  accomplished  this  task,  and  tarried  in  the 
Shogun's  capital  until  the  early  part  of  the  autumn  of 
1862,  he  set  out  upon  his  homeward  journey. 

The  "  young  man  from  Satsuma  who  had  lately  joined 
the  troop,"  and  who  defended  the  prostrate  NARABARA  in 
the  courageous  manner  described  by  Mr.  HOUSE,  was 
SAIGO  YORIMICHI,  the  Commander-in- Chief  of  the  Japanese 
forces  in  the  Formosan  expedition,  and  now  a  member  of 
the  Ministry  as  the  Chief  of  the  War  Department. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

JAPANESE  OFFICIALS  WISH  TO  TEADE  WITH  FOEEIGN 
COUNTRIES. — PURCHASE  OF  BAEQUE  ARMISTICE. — YOKOHAMA 
MUNICIPALITY  LANGUISHES. — CONSULS  WILLING  TC  DELEGATE 

TO    IT     CEETAIN    POWEES. — MEASLES    EPIDEMIC    IN    YEDO. 

GENERAL  EXAGGERATION  IN  JAPANESE  STATISTICS. — SANITAEY 
STATE  OF  YOKOHAMA. — FILTHY  CANALS  INTEESECTING  THE 
NATIVE  TOWN. — GENEEAL  CLEANLINESS  OF  THE  PEOPLE. — 
PUBLIC  TUBBING. — NATIVE  BATH-HOUSES. — SIMPLICITY  OF 
JAPANESE  LIFE. — THE  TOILET. — GOLDEN  LACQUER. — FIELD 
WORK. — MOUNTEBANKS. — PRIEST. — KAGUEA. — FIREMEN. 

As  REGARDS  the  ordinary  passing  events  connected  with 
Yokohama,  and  with  the  progress  of  foreign  intercourse, 
there  is  nothing  of  much  interest  to  relate.  In  connection 
with  the  latter,  I  take  the  following  from  the  North 
China  Herald : — 

"  A  new  feature  in  the  trade  of  Japan  has  just 
transpired,  which  adds  considerahle  interest  to  our 
relations  with  that  country.  It  appears  that  for  some 
time  the  Japanese  Government  have  entertained  the 
idea  of  encouraging  a  foreign  trade  amongst  their  own 
people,  and,  as  an  experiment,  have  launched  into  a 
commercial  venture,  by  purchasing  an  English  ship  and 
loading  her  for  the  port  of  Shanghai  on  their  own 


112  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

account.  The  first  vessel  they  have  purchased  for  this 
purpose  is  the  British  barque  Armistice,  Captain 
RICHARDSON,  of  385  tons,  for  which  they  paid  $34,000 
and  have  named  her  the  ficnzai-maru,  signifying  to  last  a 
thousand  years,"  or,  freely  translated,  a  thousand  years' 
ship.'  She  arrived  in  harbour  this  morning,  and  has  on 
board  eight  of  some  of  the  highest  officials  from  Yedo, 
who  are  empowered  by  the  Tycoon  to  trade  with  any 
port  in  the  world  that  may  extend  their  commerce. 
Also  to  purchase  a  number  of  ships  of  equal  or  superior 
quality  to  the  Armistice,  to  form  the  nucleus  of  a 
merchant  fleet." 

As  little  more  was  ever  heard  of  this  scheme,  it  is  to 
be  inferred  that  either  the  early  trading  of  "  eight,  of 
some  of  the  highest  officials  from  Yedo,"  was  not  very 
profitable ;  or  that  the  growing  troubles  of  the  empire 
forced  the  Government  to  attend  to  politics  rather  than 
to  commerce. 

In  Yokohama,  the  Municipal  Council  that  had  been 
established  soon  began  to  languish.  Yet  it  would  appear 
that  the  Consuls  were  willing  to  give  it  every  possible 
countenance,  by  a  delegation  of  powers,  which,  how- 
ever, it  was  very  doubtful  whether  they  themselves 
possessed.  Three  or  four  years  later  an  attempt  was 
made  to  induce  ministers  to  obtain  from  their  re- 
spective Governments,  formal  sanction  for  such  powers 
being  conferred ;  but  it  was  of  no  avail. 

There  was  a  terrible  visitation  of  measles,  (liasliikaj 
in  Yedo  this  summer.  In  the  56  days  from  June  17  to 
August  11,  inclusive,  no  less  than  567,713  persons  were 
attacked,  of  whom  73,158  died. 

On  almost  all  occasions  of  such  public  calamities 
overtaking  the  nation,  the  statistics  of  mortality  are 
given  in  such  big  figures  as  to  be  hardly  credible.  As 
an  instance  we  are  told  in  the  Kinse  Shiriaku  that  "  in 
the  6th  month  (July  10 — August  7,  1858)  an  epidemic 
of  cholera  spread  throughout  the  land,  and  about  30,000 


EXAGGERATED  STATISTICS.  113 

persons  died  in  Yedo  alone."  One  thousand  deaths  a 
day  is  a  rate  remarkable  even  in  a  city  of  2,000,000 
inhabitants,  more  especially  in  one,  where,  if  sanitary 
regulations  were  little  thought  of,  yet  the  general  airiness 
of  the  dwellings,  and  the  cleanliness  of  all  but  the  very 
lowest  and  poorest  classes,  struck  foreigners  as  dis- 
tinguishing characteristics  of  the  natives.  However,  I 
only  mention  this  to  show  how  unreliable  such  statistics 
were ;  for  in  September  in  the  same  year,  when  Baron 
GROS  arrived  with  the  object  of  making  a  treaty  for  France, 
on  demanding  a  residence  on  shore  in  Yedo,  as  Lord 
ELGIN  had  done  before  him,  all  sorts  of  reasons  were 
given  to  prove  the  impossibility  of  his  wish  being 
complied  with ;  among  the  rest  this  being  strenuously 
urged,  that  cholera  was  raging  in  the  city ;  that  three 
thousand  had  already  died,  and  the  deaths  still  continued 
at  the  rate  of  three  hundred  a  day — a  very  different 
statement  to  the  other. 

As  for  the  native  settlement  of  Yokohama,  there  was 
a  slight  visitation  of  fever  and  diarrhoeic  complaints 
every  summer,  but  nothing  as  compared  with  what  might 
have  been  expected. 

In  laying  out  the  land  for  the  reception  of  foreigners, 
the  native  surveyors  had  availed  themselves  of  the 
natural  facilities  they  found  to  their  hands. 

The  sea,  of  course,  formed  the  frontage ;  and  by 
cutting  a  broad  canal  in  the  rear,  uniting  two  branches 
of  a  small  river,  which,  parting  about  two  miles  inland, 
fell  into  the  sea  on  the  two  sides  of  the  proposed  site, 
and  by  a  little  judicious  labour  in  widening  and  deepen- 
ing the  embouchure  of  each,  an  island  was  formed,  with 
a  navigable  water- way  all  round. 

The  land  immediately  fronting  the  sea  was  slightly 
above  the  level  of  that  further  inland,  which  had  never 
been  availed  of  even  for  rice-fields,  but  remained  a 

VOL.    I  N 


114  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

simple,    and    oftentimes    a    very  offensive,   salt-water 
swamp. 

The  native  and  foreign  quarters  were  kept  quite 
distinct  from  each  other;  the  foreign  settlement  being 
to  the  left  looking  from  the  sea,  the  native  to  the  right. 
The  frontage  lay  about  south-east  and  north-west,  the 
former  extremity  being  appropriated  to  foreigners. 

At  first  only  the  higher  ground  was  laid  out  in  streets, 
and  it  is  a  strange  fact  that  in  the  native  town  several 
small  canals  or  water  courses  were  cut,  whilst  in  the 
foreign  quarter  there  was  nothing  of  the  kind.  It  is 
probable  that  these  were  enlargements  of  rivulets  that 
made  their  way  from  the  swamp  to  the  sea ;  or  they  may 
have  been  inlets  from  the  sea  availed  of  as  a  means  for 
small  boats  to  penetrate  into  the  town.  One  use  they 
were  turned  to  was  to  insulate  the  Yoshiwara  ;  a  quarter 
of  which  it  will  be  necessary  to  speak  hereafter. 

The  small  canals  alluded  to,  ramifying  in  various 
directions,  although  to  a  certain  extent  affected  by  the 
tides,  were  so  to  a  very  insufficient  degree.  They 
gradually,  therefore,  became  black  and  offensive  ;  and  it 
was  often  as  much  as  could  be  endured  to  pass  them. 

Yet  houses  were  not  only  built  on  their  banks,  but 
actually  overhanging  them.  There  were  streets  of  clean 
respectable-looking  shops,  on  one  side  of  which  the 
back  rooms  of  the  houses — the  living  and  sleeping 
apartments  of  the  families  occupying  them — overhung 
these  fetid,  miasmatic  canals  ;  and  it  was  often  remark- 
ed that  the  rarity  of  any  epidemic  attacking  the  inhabi- 
tants, almost  gave  the  lie  to  those  "who  contend  that 
stagnant  pools,  unripe  fruit,  and  what  foreigners  would 
esteem  low  diet,  are  the  generators  of  such  diseases. 

It  is  possible  that  the  personal  cleanliness  of  the  people 
did  much  to  preserve  them  from  such  illnesses  ;  for  there 
were  few  who  did  not  take  a  hot  bath  every  day,  and 


PUBLIC  BATH-HOUSES.  115 

hardly  any  who  did  so  less  frequently  than  every  other 
day. 

Those  who  published  their  Japanese  experiences  in 
those  early  days,  speak  of  the  public  tubbing  of  females 
which  came  under  their  observation  in  Yedo ;  whilst  later 
writers  have  called  their  statements  in  question  :  one,  in 
particular,  who  has  been  among  the  most  largely  read 
and  quoted,  declaring,  that  although  he  had  traversed 
the  streets  of  Yedo  at  all  hours  of  the  day  he  had  never 
seen  anything  of  the  kind.  It  is  very  likely  not,  for  he 
arrived  in  Japan  at  the  time  that  foreign  influences  had 
had  their  effect.  As  late  as  1862  such  things  were  seen 
in  the  vicinity  both  of  Yedo  and  Yokohama ;  and  within 
five  years  from  this  present  writing,  i.e.  as  lately  as  1874, 
such  a  sight  might  have  been,  and  was,  seen  every 
evening  by  passers-by,  in  the  immediate  neighbourhood 
of  the  settlement.  I  have  seen  it  repeatedly  both  on  one 
of  the  pathways  leading  from  Homura  to  the  Bluff,  and 
also  in  the  surrounding  villages.  By  excursionists  in  all 
directions,  what  is  called  "indiscriminate  tubbing  "  is  so 
commonly  seen,  that  they  soon  come  to  think  nothing  of 
it. 

One  of  the  features  of  the  native  towrn  up  to  1862,  and 
even  later,  was  the  numerous  public  bath-houses,  in 
which  both  sexes  performed  their  ablutions  together. 
This  was  gradually  altered  simply  by  the  force  of  public 
opinion  as  expressed  by  the  few  foreigners  then  resident 
here.  In  Yedo  it  continued  for  years  after  it  was  dis- 
continued in  Yokohama ;  but  now,  although  the  sexes 
still  use  the  same  bath-houses  in  many  instances, 
they  are  generally  divided  by  a  partition  ;  and  there  are 
some  houses  where  the  separation  is  more  complete  still. 
Yet  to  this  day,  there  is  hardly  one — if  indeed  there  be 
one — where  men  are  not  in  attendance  even  in  the 
female  division,  and  in  which  their  services  are  not  often 


116  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

brought  into  requisition  to  pour  water  over,  or  otherwise 
aid  in  the  purifications,  of  the  fair  patronesses. 

I  will  wind  up  this  chapter  by  touching  on  some  of  the 
every-day  scenes  in  Japan. 

The  simplicity  of  country  life  in  Japan  very  much  as- 
similates to  what  is  found  in  other  countries.  As 
in  Europe  so  in  Japan  there  is  much  self-dependence. 
Although  villages  are  abundant,  the  people  in  them  have 
hardly  got  the  length  of  resolving  themselves  into  different 
trades,  for  the  business  would  be  quite  too  small.  There 
may  be  in  each  a  kind  of  general  store,  where  the  very 
simplest  and  most  common  and  inexpensive  necessaries 
may  be  obtained,  but  this  is  frequently  kept  by  a  family 
whose  members  farm  a  little  piece  of  land  themselves, 
and  prepare  on  the  premises  many  of  the  things  they 
supply. 

Very  primitive  are  they  in  all  they  do.  They  are  up 
with,  or  oftentimes  before,  the  sun,  and  commence  labour 
at  once.  Their  toilet,  rough  as  it  is,  is  performed  just 
as  circumstances  permit ;  sometimes  directly  they  rise, 
often  during  a  midday  rest,  but  not  less  frequently  in  the 
evening  when  work  is  done.  Every  country  house  has 
its  bath  tub,  in  which  the  body  can  be  purified  and  rein- 
vigorated  after  the  toils  of  the  day  by  being  parboiled. 
The  temperature  at  which  these  baths  are  used  is  so 
high,  that  those  who  emerge  from  them  are  almost  the 
colour  of  red  Indians;  and  in  the  year  1872  an 
edict  was  promulgated  in  Tokio,  that  the  public  baths 
should  not  be  heated  beyond  a  moderate  temperature — 
slightly  below  blood  heat. 

The  men  never  do  their  own  hair.  There  is  always  a 
barber  near  at  hand,  and  the  heads  of  the  farmers  and 
farm  labourers  may  pass  under  his  hand  once  a  week  or 
less  according  to  their  means.  With  the  women  it  is 
almost  the  same,  but  they  have  to  touch  up  a  little  each 


117 


day,  apart  from  the  special  day  when  they  look  for  the 
visitation  of  the  kami-san  or  hair  dresser,  whose  periodical 
coming  is  preceded  by  letting  down  the  hair  and  giving  it 
a  thorough  washing.  It  must  be  a  very  poor  person  who 
has  not  the  few  things  looked  upon  as  necessities  of  the 
toilet.  Among  the  wealthy,  these  are  always  supplied 
to  a  bride,  of  most  beautiful  quality,  and  are  an  im- 
portant portion  of  her  possessions. 

Among  the  poorer  or  labouring  class,  the  ordinary 
operations  of  the  toilet  may  be  seen  every  day ;  for  every- 
thing  is  quite  public.  With  them,  of  course,  the  requisites 
are  but  few  and  very  common.  To  European  eyes  they  look 
more  like  playthings  ;  but  small  and  simple  as  they  are, 
to  their  owners  they  are  as  useful,  and  by  them  as  much 
thought  of,  as  the  more  pretentious  toilet  tables  of  the 
West.  The  diminutive  cabinet  of  drawers  suffices  for 
them  and  holds  all  the  accessories.  The  mirror  is  a  disc 
of  highly  polished  metal,  quite  effective  for  its  purpose ; 
and  easily  set  up  for  use  as  required,  and  put  away  when 
done  with.  This  simplicity  was  hardly  departed  from 
even  among  the  highest  classes.  None  were  given  to 
elaborate  furniture  at  anytime.  The  principal  difference 
between  peer  and  peasant  in  this  respect,  lay  in  the 
richness  of  the  lacquer,  or  artistic  workmanship  of 
whatever  kind,  bestowed  on  the  articles.  All  those 
pretty  little  cabinets  and  nick-nacks  that  are  sent  from 
Japan  to  other  countries,  were  by  no  means  playthings 
twenty  years  ago,  and,  indeed  are  not  so  among  the  mass 
of  the  people,  even  now. 

About  twenty  years  ago,  the  most  honorable  business 
among  the  mechanics  of  Yedo  was  that  of  gold-lacquerer. 
When  the  daughter  of  a  daimio  was  married,  it  was 
customary  to  present  her  with  a  norimon,  a  quantity  of 
toilet  articles  and  boxes,  all  having  the  family  mong  or 
device  in  gold,  on  black  or  other  lacquer.  As  this  por- 


118  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

tion  of  the  lady's  outfit  was  considered  very  important, 
the  artists  in  gold-lacquer  were  not  permitted  to  do  them 
at  their  own  houses,  but  had  to  go  to  the  yashikis  and 
work  there;  it  being  understood  that  their  charge, 
however  exorbitant,  should  not  be  disputed.  They  were 
great  people  in  their  own  way,  and  always  wore  silk 
clothes  on  such  occasions,  because  cotton  clothes  were 
supposed  to  damage  so  fine  an  article.  At  home  they 
had  beautiful  houses,  generally  with  two  or  three  fire- 
proof warehouses,  and  several  apprentices  were  invariably 
there  learning  the  business.  It  was  a  profession  which 
was  held  in  such  esteem  that  even  the  learners  of  the 
trade  used  to  refuse  to  be  adopted  into  the  families  of 
flourishing  merchants,  because  the  profits  of  the  gold 
lacquerers  were  so  ample.  But  since  the  changes,  there 
is  no  longer  any  demand  for  these  valuable  articles,  and 
the  trade  has  sunk  into  total  decay.  To  such  an  extent 
is  this  the  case,  that  actually  some  who  a  few  years  ago 
looked  forward  to  a  profitable  career  in  this  business, 
are  now  drawing  jin-riki-shas.  Of  old  a  skilful  artist 
could  lacquer  with  gold  as  many  as  300  badges  in  a 
single  day;  and  as  this  lacquer  was  always  in  demand, 
they  were  never  idle.  There  are  still  a  few  gold-lac- 
querers  in  the  empire,  but  they  have  very  little  patronage. 
Mere  common  lacquerers  are  plentiful  and  a  different 
class  entirely  from  the  workers  in  gold.  The  latter  had 
special  rules  for  their  business,  and  it  was  a  very 
difficult  thing  to  become  apprenticed  to  them.  Some 
of  the  finest  specimens  of  their  workmanship  are  now  in 
Europe,  and  ought  to  command  high  prices ;  for  the 
original  cost  here  was  for  the  reasons  above  stated,  very 
great,  and  the  daily  increasing  rarity  should  enhance  the 
value. 

Field  work  throughout  Japan  is  performed  by  both  men 
and  women.    The  fields  are  never  large,  but  divided  into 


THE  COUNTBY,  AND  PEOPLE  MET  WITH.        119 

little  patches,  no  two  of  which  are  alike  in  size  or  shape. 
The  rice  fields  are  surrounded  and  divided  from  each  other 
by  low  embankments,  which  serve  to  hold  the  water  as  in 
a  basin.  Rice  growing  is  the  dirtiest  labour  we  know, 
in  every  stage  the  labourers  working  either  in  water 
or  in  mud.  The  general  aspect  of  the  agricultural 
districts  would  lead  foreigners  to  suppose  that  the  natives 
have  little  to  learn  from  them  in  this  respect.  The  soil, 
to  all  appearance,  rich,  from  the  care  bestowed  upon  it 
for  ages,  is  cultivated  in  a  manner  that  commends  itself 
to  the  admiration  of  all.  One  feature  of  it,  however,  is 
unpleasant — their  system  of  manuring.  During  certain 
months  of  the  year  it  is  impossible  to  walk  in  the  country 
with  any  pleasure  on  this  account.  The  crops  of  every 
kind  shew  that  this  system  is  not  the  best ;  for  the  fruits 
and  vegetables  alike  are  tasteless  and  insipid. 

Itinerant  mountebanks  are  common  in  Japan.  They 
exercise  their  calling  from  village  to  village  with 
great  spirit.  It  is  astonishing  in  how  many  things 
the  Japanese  in  their  every-day  life  resemble  Europeans. 
They  have  their  street  conjurors,  their  peep-shows,  their 
acrobats,  and  all  the  tribe  of  such  Bohemians,  just  as  we 
have  in  the  "West,  and  they  draw  the  money  out  of 
people's  pockets  by  exactly  the  same  kind  of  patter  as 
we  were  used  to  of  yore.  Is  it  civilized  or  uncivilized 
people  who  have  such  institutio)is  * 

Priests  in  their  peculiar  garb,  are  also  everywhere 
met  with.  Among  the  numerous  sects  of  Buddhists, 
there  are  as  many  different  forms  of  worship  as 
among  different  sects  of  Christians.  The  pride  of  the 
sleek  and  pampered  priests  is  often  an  exact  counterpart 
of  what  may  be  seen  elsewhere.  Their  worship  is  never 
without  the  aid  of  drum  or  bell,  and  these  are  generally 
struck  by  the  servant  or  acolyte  in  attendance.  In  the 
domiciliary  visits,  there  is  often  one  who  brings  the  little 


120  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

bronze  disc  with  him,  on  which  he  strikes  as  the  priest 
prays.  The  land  of  self-satisfied  pharisaic  air  of 
these  priests  is  very  noticeable.  Without  enjoying  the 
real  respect  of  the  people,  who  look  upon  them  as  no 
better  than  they  should  be,  they  undoubtedly  exercise  a 
certain  amount  of  influence,  which  is  mainly  exercised  in 
maintaining  that  superstition  which  is  their  strongest 
hold  on  their  flock. 

On  certain  holidays  a  peculiar  kind  of  theatrical 
exhibition  is  given  in  front  of  the  temples,  to  entertain 
the  Kami,  or  gods,  the  origin  of  which,  I  gather  from 
a  description  of  some  of  the  customs  and  ceremonies 
of  his  countrymen,  sent  to  me  long  ago  by  a  young 
Japanese  friend,  was  as  follows  : — 

"In  the  early  ages,  the  great  goddess,  called  TENSHO- 
DAIJIN,  descended  from  the  heavens  and  established 
herself  in  the  province  or  state  of  Hiuga.  Becoming 
angry  (for  some  unexplained  reason)  she  withdrew 
herself  from  the  public  gaze  and  retired  to  a  cave  called 
Iwato,  whose  entrance  was  guarded  by  a  large  stone  gate. 
Mundane  affairs  being  thus  left  to  take  care  of  them- 
selves, the  other  Kami,  who  were  her  servants,  assembled 
for  counsel,  and  agreed  upon  the  necessity  of  drawing 
her  from  her  seclusion.  This  was  the  formula  observed. 
A  singer,  who  was  accompanied  by  every  kind  of 
musical  instrument,  discoursed  sweet  melodies,  the 
performers  leaping  and  dancing  around  the  mouth  of 
the  cave,  and  a  goddess,  attired  in  raiment  of  white 
silk,  moved  slowly  about,  waving  a  paper  fixed  to 
the  end  of  a  stick,  called  Heisoku.  Hearing  this 
agreeable  music,  TENSHO-DAIJIN  opened  the  gate  a  little 
way,  and  peeped  through  to  see  what  was  occurring. 
Taking  advantage  of  the  opportunity,  a  brave  Kami, 
named  TOGAKUSHI,  exerting  his  utmost  strength,  seized 
the  gate,  wrenched  it  from  its  hinges,  and  threw  it  high 
into  the  air.  Away  it  went,  whizzing  for  over  four 
hundred  miles,  finally  resting  on  the  centre  of  a  high 
mountain,  called  Tsukuba-san,  which  can  be  seen  from 
the  capital  of  this  country,  Tokio  or  Yedo," 


THE  KAGURA.  121 

[The  narrator  of  this  legend  says,  "  My  father  has 
been  over  this  mountain,  and  I  have  conversed  with  him 
as  to  its  situation  and  surroundings.  I  trust  it  may  be 
some  day  my  fortune  to  visit  it.  There  are  so  many 
pleasant  things  to  see  on  the  way  that  I  advise  those 
travelling  thither  to  do  so  on  foot,  as  its  many  beauties 
tempt  the  traveller  to  halt  every  minute."] 

"The  stone,  or  gate,  which  was  thrown  by  TOGAKUSHI 
still  exists,  resting  on  a  pinnacle  of  the  mountain,  in 
such  a  position  as  momentarily  to  threaten  the  destruc- 
tion of  the  beholder.  It  measures  in  length  about 
twenty  feet,  and  in  breadth  about  fifteen. 

"Having  described  the  origin  of  the  festival,  let  us 
proceed  to  a  description  of  the  Kagura — the  celebration 
as  now  observed.  As  it  was  first  used  as  a  remonstrance 
to  the  Kami  (or  gods)  it  is  sometimes  called  the  Kanii- 
Isami,  and  from  its  foundation  it  was  adopted  as  a 
religious  observance  or  festival.  The  Kagura  is  usually 
practiced  on  an  edifice  erected  in  front  of  a  temple,  and 
is  celebrated  with  all  kinds  of  musical  instruments — 
drums,  flutes  or  whistles,  bells,  and  blocks  of  sonorous 
wood  and  bamboo.  Dancers,  arrayed  in  beautiful 
garments,  and  wearing  masks,  leap  and  gambol  about 
to  the  sound  of  the  music.  In  the  first  and  middle  acts 
of  the  exhibition,  a  woman  who  is  called  MITO  (or  witch) 
appears,  dressed  in  loose  red  trowsers,  slowly  moving 
her  body  to  and  fro,  whilst  sounding  a  sort  of  bell  which 
she  carries  in  her  hand.  In  the  last  act  small  cakes 
made  of  rice  beaten  in  a  mortar  are  scattered  amongst 
the  spectators,  who  are  clamorous  in  their  endeavours 
to  get  hold  of  them,  believing  that  those  who  eat  them 
will  never  suffer  from  that  greatest  of  all  the  minor 
ills  that  flesh  is  heir  to,  toothache.  The  celebration  of 
the  Kagura  is  one  of  the  most  interesting  of  the  many 
religious  festivals  of  our  country." 

My  Mend  also  thus  described  the  native  firemen,  who 
were,  in  the  early  days,  almost  constantly  under  the 
observation  of  foreigners. 

"The  Empire  of  Japan  contains  three  capitals,  Yedo  or 
Tokio,  Kioto,  and  Osaka ;  of  these  the  first-named  is  the 
most  extensive  and  populous,  containing  over  two 
millions  of  inhabitants,  This  nourishing  city  is  situated 

VOL.  i  o 


122  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

on  a  vast  plain  called  Musashino,  and  when  the  Govern- 
ment was  first  established  there,  two  hundred  and  fifty 
years  ago,  by  the  ancestor  of  Tokugawa,  it  was  almost 
uninhabited.  Since  then  it  has  undergone  many  im- 
provements, and  has  rapidly  advanced  in  population  and 
wealth.  The  city,  however,  was  but  poorly  built  of 
bamboo  and  mud  and  inflammable  materials,  the  roofs 
of  the  houses  being  composed  of  thatch,  and  rushes. 
As  a  matter  of  course,  fires  were  of  frequent  occurrence, 
both  day  and  night,  as  many  as  nine  in  one  night  being 
not  infrequent. 

"In  order  to  combat  the  fiery  demon,  a  brigade  was 
organised,  selected  from  the  lower  class  of  citizens, 
and  divided  into  twelve  companies,  each  distin- 
guished by  a  letter  of  the  alphabet.  In  course  of  time 
these  companies  became  very  numerous,  and,  thirty 
years  ago,  they  counted  not  less  than  five  thousand  men. 
When  not  employed  in  their  duties  as  firemen,  they 
occupied  their  time  in  building,  in  levelling  the  ground 
for  the  erection  of  houses,  but  frequently  in  the  by  no 
means  honourable  pursuit  of  gambling.  When  the 
alarm-bell  was  sounded  they  were  on  the  alert  and 
assembled  at  a  known  rendezvous.  Their  dresses 
consisted  of  a  long  quilted  coat  or  mantle,  over  which 
was  worn  a  shorter  coat  of  the  same  kind :  their  hats 
were  made  of  a  cotton  cloth,  also  quilted.  On  the  alarm 
of  fire  being  given,  they  assembled  in  a  body,  armed 
with  long  poles,  to  be  used  as  fire-hooks  in  the  demolition 
of  burning  buildings.  A  procession  being  formed  they 
advanced  in  the  direction  of  the  fire,  singing  loudly,  in 
the  following  order.  First,  an  officer  bearing  an  ensign 
made  of  paper,  then  a  ladder,  twenty-four  or  thirty  feet 
long.  Then  came  a  band  of  firemen,  singing  their 
loudest  strains  in  various  voices,  each  of  them  carrying 
the  fire-hook.  Lastly  came  men  bearing  the  pump. 
When  the  burning  place  was  reached,  the  man  bearing 
the  ensign  or  banner,  which  was  heavy  and  tenacious, 
though  constructed  of  paper,  mounted  the  roof  of  the 
building  nearest  the  one  a-flame — and  in  the  direction 
toward  which  the  wind  was  blowing — and  endeavoured  to 
protect  the  roof  from  the  ftying  sparks.  Here  he  would 
remain  at  his  post  until  the  flames  caught  the  building 
on  which  he  stood,  and,  the  fire  spreading  rapidly  from 


THE  FIREMEN  OF  JAPAN.  123 

the  inflammable  nature  of  its  construction,  it  frequently 
happened  that  he  would  have  no  time  to  make  use  of  the 
ladders  provided,  and  must  either  jump  from  the  roof 
or  perish  in  the  flames.  They  were  a  brave  set  of  men 
and  never  shrank  from  the  flames,  many  paying  the 
penalty  of  their  devotion  to  duty  with  their  lives.  Their 
widows,  whilst  mourning  their  untimely  end,  submitted 
themselves  to  the  decrees  of  fate,  looking  upon  the  event 
as  they  would  upon  an  ordinary  death.  After  the  fire 
had  been  subdued  the  firemen  marched  back  to  their 
quarters,  singing  even  more  loudly  than  before.  As  a 
rule,  they  were,  and  are,  a  courageous  body,  and  at  the 
command  of  a  superior,  would  undertake  any  work, 
however  seemingly  desperate." 


% 
/^HAPTEB  XIII. 


THE  SAD  TALE  MUST  BE  TOLD. — SHIMADZU  SABUKO's 
THEEAT  TO  MURDER FOKEIGNERS. — DOUBTS  AS  TO  ITS  TRUTH. — 
IF  TRUE,  PROBABLE  REASON. — THE  M'JRDER  OF  MR.  RICHARDSON. 
— MRS.  BORRODAILE'S  STATEMENT  ;  MR.  CLARKE'S  AND  MR. 
MARSHALL'S  EVIDENCE. — UNCHALLENGED  UNTIL  1875. — THE 
SATSUMA  VERSION. — EFFECT  ON  THE  RESIDENTS  ON  THE  NEWS 
REACHING  THE  SETTLEMENT. — COLONEL  NEALE  AND  THE 
MOUNTED  ESCORT. — H.  B.  M.'s  CONSUL  TAKES  THE  ESCORT 
WITHOUT  ORDERS. — THE  BODY  OF  MR.  RICHARDSON  FOUND  ; 
AND  STATEMENT  OF  JAPANESE  ON  THE  SPOT,  RESPECTING  HIS 
ACTUAL  DEATH. — COLONEL  NEALE  THE  ONLY  PERSON  WHO  KEPT 
WITHIN  THE  BOUNDS  OF  PRUDENCE. — THE  BODY  CONVEYED  TO 
KANAGAWA. — MEETING  OF  THE  RESIDENTS. — RESOLUTIONS 

PASSED. DEPUTATION  TO  ADMIRAL  KUPER  ON  BOARD  H.M.S. 

EURYALUS. — ALSO  TO  CAPTAINS  OF  FRENCH  AND  DUTCH 
MEN-OF-WAR. — AND  TO  COLONEL  NEALE. — MEETING  AT  THE 
FRENCH  MINISTER'S  HOUSE. — COLONEL  NEALE'S  REFUSAL 
TO  ACT  AS  PROPOSED  BY  THE  RESIDENTS. — APPROVAL  OF  HIS 
CONDUCT  BY  HIS  GOVERNMENT,  AND  SUBSEQUENTLY  BY  HIS 
COUNTRYMEN. ORIGINAL  CONDEMNATION  OF  IT  BY  ALL  FOR- 
EIGNERS AND  BY  THE  PRESS. — PROBABLE  RESULTS  OF  IMME- 
DIATE ACTION. — COLONEL  NEALE'S  PROMPT  COMMUNICATION 
WITH  THE  JAPANESE  GOVERNMENT. — PERPLEXITY  OF  YEDO 
GOVERNMENT. 

THE  tale  has  now  to  be  told  of  the  saddest  incident 
that  has  occurred  since  the  signing  of  the  treaties. 
Saddest,  because,  although  only  one  foreigner's  life  was 


THE  SAD — SAD  STORY.  125 

at  first  sacrificed,  it  led  to  fighting  by  which  numbers 
both  of  Japanese  and  foreigners  lost  their  lives,  and  to 
other  consequences  hardly  less  lamentable. 

I  have  already  spoken  of  SHIMADZU  SABUBO,  and  shown, 
as  I  think,  that  there  is  no  good  reason  for  supposing 
that,  on  his  arrival  in  Yedo,  he  was  imbued  with  such 
feelings  towards  foreigners  as  should  lead  him  to  act 
with  hostility  towards  individuals. 

It  was  stated,  after  the  event  I  am  about  to  chronicle, 
that  before  leaving  Yedo  on  his  return  to  Kioto,  he  made 
a  direct  threat  to  the  Government,  that,  should  oppor- 
tunity arise,  he  would  assault  foreigners.  I  have  never 
been  able  to  trace  this  to  any  reliable  source;  but  at 
the  time  it  was  universally  believed,  and  there  are  few, 
if  any,  of  the  foreigners  then  resident  in  Japan  who  do 
not  still  accept  it  as  an  indisputable  fact.  If  it  be  true, 
it  may  have  been  uttered  in  the  heat  of  the  moment ; 
and  have  arisen  from  a  desire  to  embroil  the  Government 
with  foreigners — forcing  hostilities,  under  the  impression 
that  the  latter  would  act  in  such  a  manner  as  to  compel 
immediate  steps  to  drive  them  out.  Of  this,  however, 
more  hereafter.  Here  is  the  original  version  of  the 
sad  story. 

On  the  14th  September  1862,  throe  English  gentlemen 
escorted  a  lady,  the  sister-in-law  of  one  of  them,  in  a 
ride  on  the  Tokaido.  Two  of.  the  gentlemen,  Mr. 
MARSHALL  and  Mr.  CLARKE,  were  residents  of  Yokohama ; 
the  lady  was  Mrs.  BORRODAILE,  wife  of  a  merchant  in 
Hongkong ;  the  third  gentleman  a  Mr.  EICHARDSON  who 
had  been  in  business  in  Shanghai,  but,  having  retired, 
was  on  a  visit  to  Japan  before  going  home.  That  I  may 
not  appear  to  impart  any  colouring  of  my  own  to  the 
affair,  I  shall  give  the  statements  of  the  lady  and  the 
two  first-named  gentlemen,  as  to  what  took  place,  simply 
premising,  that  no  one  who  knew  the  parties  could  think 


126  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

of  doubting  them ;  and  that  the  peculiarly  single-minded, 
truthful  and  conscientious  character  of  Mr.  MAKSHALL  in 
particular,  gave  him  in  early  days  a  leading  position 
among  foreign  residents,  which  he  maintained  un- 
challenged during  the  remainder  of  his  career,  and  until 
his  sudden  decease  in  September  1873. 

First  then,  here  is  the  account  given  in  the  Japan 
Herald,  with  Mrs.  BOKEODAILE'S  statement. 

Yokohama,  15th  September,  1862. — Yesterday  after- 
noon about  two  o'clock,  a  party  left  Yokohama  for  a 
country  ride,  intending  to  cross  to  Kanagawa  in  a  boat 
and  proceed  from  thence  on  horse-back  to  Kawasaki, 
where  there  is  a  fine  temple. 

The  party  was  composed  of  Mrs.  BORRODAILE,  the 
wife  of  a  merchant  in  Hongkong ;  Mr.  MARSHALL — her 
brother  in  law,  a  merchant  of  Yokohama  ;  Mr.  W.  CLARKE 
—of  the  house  of  Messrs.  A.  HEARD  &  Co.,  and  Mr. 
EICHARDSON,  who  had  just  retired  from  business  in  China 
and  was  on  a  visit  to  Japan,  prior  to  his  return  to 
England. 

The  Community  at  about  half  past  three  o'clock,  in  the 
afternoon,  were  startled  by  the  return  of  Mrs.  BORRODAILE 
on  horse-back  to  Mr.  GOWER'S  house,  in  a  fearful  state  of 
agitation  and  disorder — her  hands,  face  and  clothes  be- 
spattered with  blood,  her  hat  gone,  and  herself  in  a  faint- 
ing state.  She  informed  Mr.  GOWER  that  she  had  just 
ridden  for  her  life  over  seven  miles,  and  had  escaped,  she 
knew  not  how,  from  a  most  dastardly  and  murderous 
attack  upon  herself  and  her  companions ;  that  at  about  four 
miles  beyond  Kanagawa,  nearly  halfway  to  Kawasaki,  they 
had  met  part  of  a  daimio's  train  consisting  of  a  large  body 
of  two-sworded  men  coming  from  Yedo,  some  of  whom 
signed  to  them  to  move  aside,  which  they  did.  They 
drew  up  their  horses  at  the  side  of  the  road,  but  in  con- 
sequence of  continued  signs  to  go  back,  they  turned  their 


MUBDEB  OP  MB.  RICHABDSON.  127 

horses  to  return  towards  Kanagawa.  Without  a  word, 
or  the  slightest  further  notice,  some  of  the  retainers  drew 
their  swords  and  fiercely  attacked  them.  A  cut  was 
aimed  at  Mrs.  BORRODAILE'S  head,  which  she  fortunately 
a voided  hy  quickly  stooping,  though  her  hat  was  cut  away 
by  the  blow.  The  three  gentlemen  were  badly  wounded, 
and  being  entirely  surrounded  and  the  road  being  for 
some  distance  lined  by  their  assailants,  and  being  them- 
selves entirely  unarmed,  they  had  no  course  but  to  dash 
through  them,  and  to  endeavour  thus  to  effect  their 
escape.  Mrs.  BORRODAILE  saw  Mr.  RICHARDSON  fall  from 
his  horse,  as  she  supposed  dead — and  the  others  were  so 
badly  wounded  that  Mr.  MARSHALL  told  her  to  ride  for 
her  life  and  try  to  save  herself,  as  he  did  not  think  they 
could  keep  up.  She  scarcely  remembers  what  happened 
afterwards,  but  she  recollects  riding  into  the  sea,  pre- 
ferring the  risk  of  drowning  to  falling  into  the  hands  of 
these  blood-thirsty  miscreants.  Her  horse,  however,  re- 
gained the  road  and  continued  his  head-long  course 
towards  Yokohama,  tAvice  falling  under  her.  By  some 
means  she  regained  her  seat  and  arrived  fainting  and 
exhausted  at  the  house  mentioned.  Fortunately  Dr. 
JENKINS  and  Mr.  GOWER'S  brother  entered  the  house  at 
the  moment,  the  former  of  whom  administered  the  need- 
ful restoratives  ;  and  Mr.  GOWER'S  brother,  at  her  earnest 
entreaties,  went  at  once  to  Capt.  VYSE,  to  endeavour  to 
obtain  assistance  towards  the  recovery  of  the  persons  of 
her  companions,  all  three  of  whom  she  imagined  were 
lying  dead  in  the  road. 

Next,  Mr.  WOODTIIORPE  C.  CLARICE,  at  the  inquest  held 
on  the  body  of  Mr.  RICHARDSON  the  following  day, 
deposed  : — 

' '  On  Sunday  the  14th  September  a  party  consisting  of 
Mrs.  BOBBODAILE,  Mr.  RICHARDSON,  Mr.  MARSHALL  and  my- 
self left  Yokohama  for  Kana^awa  in  a  boat.  Our  horses 


128  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

were  sent  round  to  Kanagawa  before  us,  and  meeting  them 
at  the  landing  place  at  Kanagawa,  we  mounted  and  rode 
on  towards  Kawasaki.  Along  the  road  we  passed  several 
norimons  surrounded  each  by  a  few  attendants,  each 
armed  with  two  swords  and  occasionally  a  few  spears. 
These  norimons  and  attendants  formed  a  continuous  but 
irregular  train  broken  at  intervals.  When  these  people 
were  passing  we  walked  our  horses  at  a  steady  pace,  and 
cantered  during  the  intervals  when  no  people  were  pass- 
ing ;  this  continued  for  about  3i  to  4  miles  of  the  road 
from  Kanagawa  to  Kawasaki  when  we  met  a  regular  pro- 
cession preceded  by  about  a  hundred  men  in  single  file 
on  either  side  of  the  road.  We  kept  well  to  the  near  side 
•  of  the  road,  going  at  a  walking  pace,  until  we  arrived  at 
the  main  body,  which  was  then  occupying  the  whole  road, 
which  at  that  place  had,  I  think,  a  rather  wide  Japanese 
bridge  across  it.  Mrs.  BORRODAILE  and  Mr.  EICHARDSON 
were  about  ten  yards  in  advance,  Mr.  EICHABDSON  riding 
on  the  off-side  of  Mrs.  BORRODAILE.  I  observed,  that  on 
nearing  the  main  body,  they  halted,  and  Mr.  MARSHALL 
and  I  immediately  did  the  same.  As  we  did  so  I  observed 
a  man  of  large  stature  issued  from  the  main  body,  at  the 
same  time  raising  both  his  arms,  and  making  some  gesture, 
whereupon  both  Mrs.  BORRODAILE  and  Mr.  KICHARDSON 
instantty  turned  their  horses  round  towards  Kanagawa, 
Mr.  MARSHALL  and  myself  doing  likewise.  As  I  was  in 
the  act  of  turning  round,  I  saw  a  Japanese,  whom  I  think 
was  the  same  big  man  I  saw  at  first  issuing  from  the 
main  body,  cut  with  a  sword  at  Mr.  EICHARDSON.  Upon 
this  I  observed  also  that  a  portion  of  the  advanced  guard, 
namely,  those  referred  to  before  as  advancing  in  single 
file,  closed  in  upon  us,  to  the  number  of  about  thirty. 
On  seeing  this  I  immediately  put  my  horse  to  a  hand- 
gallop  and  went  through  them.  While  doing  so  I  received 
a  wound  on  the  left  shoulder,  and  my  horse  received  an- 
other on  the  near  hip  ;  I  saw  several  swords  drawn  and 
blows  aimed  at  me  which  I  escaped,  perhaps  by  bending 
forward,  and  on  account  of  the  rapid  pace  at  which  my 
horse  moved.  As  soon  as  I  had  cleared  the  advanced 
guard,  I  checked  my  horse  somewhat,  then  Mr.  EICHARD- 
SON came  up  with  me  and  begged  me  to  pull  up,  saying 
at  the  same  time  "  Oh !  CLARKE,  they  have  killed  me."  I 
replied  that  I  was  wounded  and  I  further  begged  him  to 


MB.  w.  c.  CLAUSE'S  STATEMENT.  129 

endeavour  to  keep  his  seat,  and  to  move  on  as  quickly  as 
possible  as  the  only  chance  of  safety.  At  this  time  Mrs. 
BOEKODAILE  and  Mr.  MARSHALL  came  up,  and  I  then 
moved  on  at  a  hand-gallop  with  Mrs.  BORRODAILE,  she 
keeping  a  little  ahead.  I  think  Mr.  MARSHALL  stopped  a 
moment  or  two  with  Mr.  RICHARDSON,  and  that  was  the 
last  I  saw  of  Mr.  RICHARDSON.  Mrs.  BORRODAILE  and  I  kept 
on,  and  were  joined  by  Mr.  MARSHALL  at  Kanagawa  just 
immediately  before  we  came  to  the  bridge  of  Kanagawa  ; 
we  had  then  slackened  our  pace ;  but  seeing  Mr.  MARSHALL 
coming  on  all  right,  and  feeling  myself  becoming  some- 
what faint,  I  pushed  on  with  Mrs.  BORRODAILE,  agreeing 
among  ourselves  to  go  to  the  American  Consulate  at 
Kanagawa.  I  rode  on  some  distance  until  arriving  at  the 
landing  place  at  Kanagawa,  and  again  telling  Mrs. 
BORRODAILE  to  go  to  the  American  Consulate,  I  became 
dizzy  and  lost  my  sight  from  loss  of  blood,  and  I  remember 
nothing  more  untjl  I  found  the  American  Consul  and 
some-one  else  helping  me  into  a  chair.  I  then  fainted, 
and  again  came  to  my  senses  as  Mr.  MARSHALL  was 
brought  in.  I  was  then  kindly  attended  to  by  the  family 
of  the  American  Consul  and  later  in  the  evening  we  were 
removed  to  Yokohama.  Very  shortly  before  meeting  the 
compact  train  by  which  we  were  attacked,  I  noticed  in  a 
house  by  the  way-side  two  of  the  Japanese  interpreters 
belonging  to  the  Custom  House  at  Yokohama,  and  who 
were  personally  known  by  Mr.  MARSHALL  and  spoken  to 
by  him.  I  think  I  could  recognize  one  of  those  inter- 
preters on  seeing  him  again.  I  can  only  recognize  the 
uniform  'and  crest  of  the  advanced  guard.  They  were 
dressed  in  dark  blue  and  I  saw  on  the  sleeves  of  nearly 
the  whole  of  the  advanced  guard,  a  crest,  similar  to  the 
sketch  which  I  now  give  in  pencil,  consisting  of  two  broad 
white  lines  placed  parallel." 

And  lastly,  Mr.  MARSHALL  gave  evidence  in  these 
words  : — 

"On  the  afternoon  of  Sunday,  the  14th  instant,  Mrs. 
BORRODAILE,  Mr.  RICHARDSON,  Mr.  WOODTHORPE  CLARKE 
and  I,  rode  from  Kanagawa  along  the  Tokaido  or  high 
road  in  the  direction  of  Kawasaki.  When  we  got  to  that 
part  of  the  road  which  is  called  by  foreigners  here  '  The 
Avenue,'  I  saw  a  Japanese  interpreter  whom  I  know 

VOL.  i  P 


180  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

and  two  other  Japanese.  That  interpreter  I  know  as  one 
of  those  belonging  to  the  Custom  House  at  Yokohama. 
I  said  to  the  interpreter,  '  What  are  you  doing  so  far 
away  from  Yokohama  ?  '  He  made  no  reply.  We  pro- 
ceeded ahout  a  quarter  of  a  mile  farther  when  on  turning 
a  corner  I  perceived  a  large  procession  coming  towards 
us  along  the  road ;  we  did  not  stop  but  went  on,  taking 
the  left  hand  side  of  the  road  ;  there  was  apparently  no 
opposition  until  we  had  got  about  twelve  men  deep  in  the 
procession  :  then  a  man  stepped  in  front  of  Mr.  EICHARD- 
SON  and  Mrs.  BORRODAILE  who  were  leading,  and  barred 
the  way.  Mr.  EICHARDSON  looked  back  and  said,  '  We 
are  stopped.'  Mr.  CLARKE  said  '  Dont  go  on,  we  can 
turn  into  a  side  road.'  I  said  '  For  God'9  sake  let  us 
have  no  row.'  Our  horses  were  being  quietly  turned 
round,  when  I  saw  a  man  in  the  centre  of  the  procession 
throwing  the  upper  part  of  his  clothes  off  his  shoulders, 
leaving  himself  naked  to  the  waist,  and,  drawing  his 
sword,  which  he  swung  in  both  hands,  he  rushed  upon 
Mr.  EICHARDSON.  I  shouted  '  Away ; '  but  before  our 
horses  were  started  Mr.  EICHARDSON  was  struck  across 
the  side  under  the  left  arm.  The  same  man  rushed  upon 
me,  and  struck  me  in  the  same  place  under  the  left  arm. 
By  this  time  our  horses  had  fairly  started.  The  greater 
number  of  the  people  remained  stationary,  but  about 
half-a-dozen  drew  their  swords,  and,  barring  our  passage 
struck  at  us  as  we  passed.  Mr.  CLARKE  rode  over  one 
man  and  I  rode  over  another.  We  galloped  on,  no 
person  attempting  to  obstruct  our  passage  until  we 
reached  the  Tea-house  just  before  the  entrance  to  the 
Avenue  when.  I  saw  Mr.  EICHARDSON'S  horse  begin  to 
flag.  I  shouted  to  Mrs.  BORRODAILE  and  Mr.  CLARKE, 
who  were  leading,  to  go  on  and  that  I  would  look 
after  Mr.  EICHARDSON.  I  drew  alongside  his  horse 
and  said,  "EICHARDSON,  are  you  badly  hurt?"  He 
made  no  reply.  I  looked  into  his  face  and  saw  that  he 
was  all  but  dead  if  not  quite  so.  His  horse  stopped  and 
he  fell  to  the  ground.  I  saw  then  that  he  was  quite  dead, 
his  bowels  protruding,  and  that  I  could  do  him  no  good. 
I  put  my  horse  into  a  gallop  and  just  at  the  entrance  of 
Kanagawa  overtook  Mrs.  BORRODAILE  and  Mr.  CLARICE. 
Here  also  I  met  my  own  betto  and  Mr.  ASPINALL'S  betto. 
The  one  I  sent  back  to  look  after  Mr.  EICHARDSON'S  body, 


ME.  MARSHALL'S  EVIDENCE. — THE  VERDICT.  131 

and  mounting  the  other  on  Mr.  RICHARDSON'S  horse  sent 
him  on  to  Yokohama.  I  felt  very  faint  from  loss  of 
blood,  and  feeling  comparatively  safe  in  Kanagawa,  rode 
quietly  until  I  reached  the  American  Consulate,  where  I 
received  every  kindness  and  attention.  There  were  a 
great  number  of  people  coming  along  the  road,  forming, 
I  believe,  the  advanced  part  of  the  procession.  I  observed 
on  the  dresses  of  most  of  them  one  or  other  of  the  three 
crests  which  I  can  describe,  the  crest  prevailing  most 
being  that  of  Satsuma — it  was  a  white  cross  in  a  circle 
thus  *  *  ;  the  other  two  were  thus  *  *  and  thus  *  *. 
We  did  not  go  faster  than  a  walking  pace  for  at  least  a 
quarter  of  a  mile  before  we  came  up  to  the  procession 
where  we  we-re  attacked.  We  neither  spoke,  nor  made  ges- 
tures, nor  did  anything  else  whatever  to  give  offence  to  the 
procession :  in  fact  we  tried  to  get  out  of  the  way  to  avoid  it. 
As  far  as  I  could  see,  every  man  belonging  to  or  forming 
the  procession  which  attacked  us,  was  armed  each  with 
two  swords,  and  some  with  long  lances,  and  I  observed 
in  front  two  men  carrying  bows  and  bundles  of  arrows." 

The  jury  gave  as  their  verdict,  "that  the  deceased 
CHARLES  LENOX  RICHARDSON  was  feloniously,  wilfully  and 
of  malice  aforethought,  killed  and  murdered  by  certain 
Japanese  (whose  names  are  to  the  Jurors  unknown), 
armed  with  swords,  lances,  and  other  arms  after  the 
fashion  of  their  country  ;  and  bearing  the  same  by 
authority,  being  officials  in  either  the  civil  or  military 
service  of  Japan,  at  a  place  about  4  miles  from  Kana- 
gawa, on  the  high  road  between  Kanagawa  and  Kawasaki, 
being  within  the  Consular  district  of  Kanagawa." 

Observe,  Mrs.  BORRODAILE  says  that  "a  cut  was  aimed 
at  her  head,  but  she  fortunately  avoided  it  by 
quickly  stooping,  though  her  hat  was  cut  away  by 
the  blow." 

Mr.  CLARKE,  also,  states  : — "  We  kept  well  to  the  near 
side  of  the  road,  going  at  a  walking  pace,  until  we 
arrived  at  the  main  body,  which  was  then  occupying  the 
whole  road."  And 

Mr.  MARSHALL  testifies  : — "Mr.  RICHARDSON  looked  back 
and  said  '  We  are  stopped.'  Mr.  CLARKE  said : — '  Don't 
go  on ;  we  can  turn  into  a  side  road.'  I  said : — '  For 
God's  sake  let  us  have  no  row.'  And  again,  '  We 
neither  spoke,  nor  made  gestures,  nor  did  anything"  else 


132  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

• 

whatever  to  (jive  offence  to  the  procession;'  in  fact,  we  got 
out  of  the  way  to  avoid  it." 

Such  is  the  plain  unvarnished  tale,  as  given  by  the 
only  foreigners  who  were  witnesses  of  the  unhappy  scene  ; 
and  of  course  the  only  persons  present  who  understood 
the  English  language. 

This  account  remained  unchallenged  until  the  year 
1875,  when  a  pamphlet,  written  by  an  American  gentle- 
man, Mr.  E.  H.  HOUSE,  appeared,  giving  the  Satsuma 
version  of  the  affair. 

It  is  as  follows  : — 

"  On  the  afternoon  of  the  14th,  four  persons  started  from 
Kanagawa,  to  ride  upon  the  To-kai-do  toward  Kawasaki, 
a  town  about  ten  miles  distant.  'They  were  all  English  : 
Mr.  C.  L.  KICHABDSON,  a  merchant  who  had  just  retired 
from  business  in  China  and  was  visiting  Japan  for 
amusement,  Messrs.  MAKSHALL  and  CLAKKE,  residents  of 
Yokohama,  and  Mrs.  BORRODAILE  of  Hongkong.  The 
first  named  gentleman,  it  is  necessary  to  say,  was  under- 
stood to  have  gained  a  certain  notoriety  for  violence  in 
his  dealings  with  the  inhabitants  of  the  country  in  which 
he  had  long  resided.  It  was  unfortunate  that  he  took 
the  lead,  as  he  did,  with  Mrs.  BOERODAILE,  instead  of 
some  other  of  the  party  who  might  have  better  under- 
stood the  character  of  the  people  they  were  likely  to  en- 
counter. Soon  after  leaving  Kanagawa,  they  found  that 
they  were  in  the  midst  of  a  somewhat  broken,  though 
still  continuous  train,  composed  of  men  variously  armed 
with  spears  and  swords,  who  were  in  attendance  upon 
norimonos,  or  palanquins,  evidently  occupied  by  persons 
of  rank.  They  saw  certain  Japanese  from  Yokohama, 
who  were  known  to  some  of  the  party,  standing  beside 
their  horses,  from  which  they  had  dismounted,  according 
to  a  rule  which  no  native  would  have  dreamed  of  infring- 
ing at  that  time.  One  of  the  most  inexorable  regulations 
of  Japanese  etiquette  was  that  no  casual  passenger 
should  continue  to  ride,  either  upon  his  horse  or  in  any 
conveyance,  during  the  occupancy  of  the  road  by  a 
dignitary  of  high  station.  Whether  this  usage  should  or 
should  not  be  held  applicable  to  Europeans  is  a  point 
hardly  worth  discussing.  Most  visitors  in  strange  lands 


THE  SATSUMA  VERSION.  133 

recognize  the  expediency,  if  not  the  propriety,  of  con- 
forming to  the  established  public  customs.  A  traveller 
who  should  refuse  to  lift  his  hat  at  the  approach  of  a 
European  monarch  would  not  escape  uncomfortable 
treatment  on  the  plea  that  he  came  from  a  distance  and 
owed  no  allegiance  to  the  sovereign  in  question.  It  is 
certain  that  no  Japanese  would  have  been  suffered  to  pass 
unmolested  even  the  advance  of  the  procession  through 
which  Mr.  EICHAKDSON  and  his  friends  were  allowed  to 
move  for  some  miles.  As  long  as  they  gave  no  other 
offence  than  that  which  might  have  proceeded  from 
ignorance  they  were  unharmed,  not  from  any  disposition 
on  the  part  of  the  retainers  to  treat  them  tenderly,  but 
because  of  the  orders  issued  by  their  chief.  Even  after 
the  behavior  of  one  of  them  had  become  distinctly  ob- 
jectionable, they  were  suffered  to  pursue  their  way. 
After  the  catastrophe,  Mrs.  BORRODAILE  admitted  that  she 
had  repeatedly  begged  Mr.  RICHARDSON  to  be  more  care- 
ful in  his  conduct,  and  that  he  had  given  no  heed  to  her 
remonstrances,  but  had  continued  to  push  his  horse  in 
and  out  of  the  groups  forming  the  cortege,  reckless  of 
menacing  glances  and  gestures.  Finally,  at  or  near  the 
village  of  Namamugi,  a  more  compact  and  regular  body 
of  attendants  came  in  view,  preceding,  in  two  long  files, 
the  norimono  in  which  SHIMADZU  SABURO  was  seated. 
The  officer  who  led  this  company — and  who  has  since 
attained  a  high  position  in  the  Japanese  service — turned 
to  the  left,  in  obedience  to  instructions,  and  drew  his  men 
to  the  side  of  the  road.  He  is  positive  in  declaring  that 
if  the  strangers  had  done  likewise,  and  moved  in  single 
file,  they  could  have  passed  uninjured,  as  others  had 
done  before  them,  and  as  others  did  after.  They  them- 
selves, at  least  the  three  survivors,  invariably  declared 
that  they  had  kept  well  to  the  left,  but  it  was  not  denied 
that  they  continued  'to  ride  two  abreast.  The  Japanese 
insist  that  Mr.  RICHARDSON  did  not  turn  at  all,  and  that 
while  they,  though  reluctantly  and  in  great  irritation, 
moved  to  one  side,  he  persisted  in  holding  the  center  of 
the  road.  He  had  hardly  passed  the  head  of  the  column 
when  the  signs  of  dissatisfaction  became  so  ominous  that 
Mr.  CLARKE  and  Mr.  MARSHALL,  who  were  some  distance 
in  the  rear,  felt  it  necessary  to  interpose.  '  Don't  go 
on,'  said  the  former,  '  we  can  turn  into  a  side  road.' 


184  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

'  For  God's  sake,'  said  Mr.  MARSHALL,  '  let  us  have  no 
row.'  '  Let  me  alone,'  answered  EICHARDSON  ;  '  I  have 
lived  in  China  fourteen  years,  and  know  how  to  manage 
these  people.' 

' '  A  moment  later,  the  blow  fell.  The  commander  of  the 
SATSUMA  body-guard  states  that  it  had  become  evident 
that  Mr.  EICHARDSON  would  not  give  way,  and  that  his 
attitude  indicated  that  he  was  determined  to  maintain  his 
position,  and  compel  even  the  norimono  to  give  way  to 
him.  This  is  in  a  degree  confirmed  by  a  letter  from  the 
U.  S.  Minister,  who  wrote  that  it  was  '  supposed  that  the 
horse  of  one  of  the  party  forced  itself  between  the 
norimono  and  the  retainers  who  marched  as  a  guard 
beside  it.'  At  last  the  affront,  in  Japanese  eyes,  was 
unendurable.  A  soldier  sprang  from  the  ranks,  and 
made  an  imperative  sign  to  him  to  retire.  The  warning 
was  now  taken,  but  it  was  too  late.  As  the  party  were 
endeavoring  to  turn  their  horses,  the  head  of  the  column 
closed  upon  them.  The  three  men  were  wounded  almost 
at  the  same  moment — Mr.  EICHARDSON  fatally.  Mrs. 
BORRODAILE  was  not  hurt.  They  succeeded  in  breaking 
through  the  group  of  guards,  and  rode  back  at  full  speed 
toward  Yokohama.  Mr.  EICHARDSON  soon  fell  from  his 
horse  and  was  never  again  seen  alive  by  his  companions. 
The  others  escaped,  two  with  severe  injuries,  the  lady 
with  the  shock  of  an  agonizing  terror. 

"The  SATSUMA  officer  whose  statements  have  been  above 
quoted  is  frank  in  the  declaration  that  his  sole  regret 
wras,  since  the  deed  was  to  be  done,  that  he  did  not  per- 
form it  himself.  He  had  burned  with  indignation  at 
what  he  conceived  to  be  an  insult  to  his  master,  and  it 
was  only  in  consequence  of  the  restraint  imposed  upon 
him  that  he  had  held  his  hand.  If  he  had  foreseen  that 
one  of  his  command  would  violate  the  order,  he  himself 
would  have  struck  the  first  blow.  This  is  mentioned  to 
show*  that  the  story  he  relates  is  certainly  not  colored  by 
any  desire  to  disguise  the  feelings  by  which  he  and  his 
associates  were  actuated  at  the  time.  It  is  a  straight- 
forward tale,  and  corresponds  in  all  essential  points  with 
those  of  the  foreigners  concerned,  The  depositions  of 
Messrs.  CLARKE  and  MARSHALL  tend  to  confirm  it,  and  the 
clear  recollections  of  persons  who  conversed  with  and 
were  in  medical  attendance  upon  Mrs.  BORRODAILE  im- 


EXCITEMENT  IN  YOKOHAMA.  186 

mediately  after  the  event  are  entirely  in  its  favor." 
I  wish  to  give  the  two  statements,  that  all  may  judge 
for  themselves.  But  I  am  bound  to  say  that  I  have  con- 
versed with  the  nearest  and  dearest  of  all  Mrs. 
BOKRODAILE'S  friends — her  husband — shortly  after  the 
event,  and  he  mentioned  nothing  to  me  of  what  is 
attributed  to  that  lady ;  nor,  until  I  read  them  in  the 
pamphlet,  did  I  ever  hear  of  them,  although  well 
acquainted  with  those  who  are  elsewhere  mentioned  as 
having  reported  them,  and  with  those  to  whom  they 
would  be  most  likely  to  be  spoken'. 

And  now,  having  presented  both  statements  of  the 
occurrence  itself,  I  will  proceed. 

On  the  news  reaching  the  settlement,  the  excitement 
was,  as  may  be  readily  supposed,  very  great.  Several 
parties  of  residents  mounted  their  ponies,  and  rode 
off  as  fast  as  they  could  to  Namamugi.  Colonel 
NEALE  ordered  the  mounted  Escort  to  hold  them- 
selves at  once  in  readiness  to  start  for  the  scene  of 
the  catastrophe  ;  but  learning  that  Mr.  EICHAEDSON  was 
actually  dead  and  that  his  companions  were  safe,  he 
resolved  not  to  send  the  Escort,  consisting  in  Yokohama 
of  only  "  seven  men,  to  the  Tokaido,  where  they  would 
probably  run  the  gauntlet  through  hundreds  of  armed 
men,  fresh  from  the  outrage  and  murder  just  perpetrated. 
Their  officer  too,  Lieut.  APPLIN,  was  absent.  As,  however, 
the  very  spot  on  the  Tokaido  could  be  safely  and  ex- 
peditiously  reached  by  water,  being  at  Namamugi  directly 
opposite  to  Yokohama,  he  sent  to  H.  M.  S.  Centaur, 
requesting  that  an  armed  cutter  should  be  dispatched 
across  the  bay  to  bring  over  to  Yokohama  the  body  of 
Mr.  KICHARDSON,  and  from  Kanagawa  the  two  gentlemen 
who  had  been  wounded.  On  his  return  to  the  spot 
where  he  had  left  the  escort,  he  found  that  they  were 
gone,  and  learnt  that  H.B.M.'s  Consul,  Capt.  VYSE,  had 
taken  them  by  the  high  road  to  Kanagawa.  Lieut. 
AI'PLIN  then  appearing,  he  was  told  by  Colonel  NEALE 


186  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

that  the  escort  had  gone  without  necessity  and  without 
authority.  The  former  answered  that  he  would  follow 
them  and  see  that  all  was  right." 

Lieut.  APPLIN  overtook  Captain  VYSE,  the  escort  and  a 
number  of  the  residents  about  two  miles  on  the  highroad. 

"  He  ordered  a  halt,  and  stated  that  Colonel  NEALE  was 
extremely  incensed  that  the  guard  should  have  been 
taken  out  of  Yokohama  without  his  special  orders.  The 
British  Consul,  however,  explained  that  it  was  his  duty 
at  all  hazards  to  recover  and  identify  his  missing 
countryman,  and  that  having  found  the  guard  in  the 
saddle  ready  to  start,  but  without  any  instructions  as  to 
what  course  they  were  to  pursue  (though  Colonel  NEALE 
was  fully  aware  of  the  urgent  demand  for  assistance),  he 
had  thought  it  his  duty  to  order  them  at  once  to  follow 
him.  Lieut.  APPLIN,  upon  hearing  this  explanation,  was 
satisfied,  and  gave  the  word  to  advance."  * 
The  party  now  continued  along  the  road  till  they 
arrived  at  the  half-way  house  between  Kanagawa  and 
Kawasaki,  where  they  were  joined  by  the  French 
mounted  guard,  who  had  received  orders  from  M. 
DUCHESNE  DE  BELLECOUET,  the  French  representative,  to 
act  in  concert  with  Captain  VYSE  and  those  who  accom- 
panied him." 

They  found  the  body  of  the  Mr.  BICHARDSON  lying  a 
little  off  the  road-side,  dreadfully  mangled  with  sword-cuts 
and  spear- wounds.  Two  old  mats  had  been  thrown  over 
it,  but  nothing  had  been  taken  from  it.  On  enquiry  it 
appeared  that  he  could  not  have  been  actually  dead  when 
Mr.  MARSHALL  left  him  ;  for  he  is  stated  to  have  managed 
to  drag  himself  in  the  dreadful  condition  in  which  he 
was,  to  the  bank  at  the  road-side,  and  to  raise  himself  to 
a  sitting  posture.  He  called  for  water;  but  no  one 
dared  to  approach  him. 

The  story  goes,  that  a  young  woman,  the  mistress  of  a 
small  road-side  tea-house  brought  him  the  water  he 
asked  for ;  and,  with  a  woman's  gentle  sympathetic 
nature,  wished  she  could  do  more.  This  belief  has 
always  given  that  woman  an  interest  in  the  minds  of 


VABIOUS  STATEMENTS.  187 

foreigners,  who  thenceforward  rarely  passed  along  that 
portion  of  the  Tokaido,  without  stopping  at  "  Black-eyed 
Susan's,"  the  name  by  which  to  this  day  she  is  familiarly 
known. 

Her  own  evidence,  however,  as  taken  by  H.  M.  Consul, 
proves  this  to  have  been  incorrect. 

Another  statement  was  circulated  at  the  time, 
and  was  universally  believed,  to  the  effect  that  Mr. 
RICHARDSON  had  been  on  the  bank  about  ten  minutes, 
when  the  norimon  of  SHIMADZU  SABURO  came  up,  and  then 
occurred,  according  to  report,  (which,  however,  I  believe 
to  have  been  erroneous),  what  most  of  all  arouses  the 
indignation  of  all  who  hear  of  it.  The  country-people 
who  were  examined,  it  was  said,  declared  that  seeing  a 
crowd  of  people,  SABURO  asked  his  attendants  what  was 
the  cause  of  it.  On  being  informed,  he  ordered  them  to 
put  him  to  death  at  once ;  which  they  did,  cutting  his 
throat  and  stabbing  him  repeatedly. 

The  following  letter  from  Captain  VYSE  to  Colonel 
NEALE  tends  to  give  a  different  colouring  to  both  the 
above  stories. 

Kanagaiva,  September  30,  1862. 

"  I  have  the  honour  to  inform  you  that,  in  consequence 
of  a  report  being  in  circulation  at  Yokohama  that  the 
late  Mr.  RICHARDSON  was  still  alive  when  he  fell  from  his 
horse,  and  that  he  was  butchered  in  cold  blood  by  certain 
Japanese  armed  men  on  the  afternoon  of  Sunday,  the 
14th  of  September,  I  deemed  it  to  be  my  duty  to  make 
inquiry  into  the  truth  of  this  frightful  aggravation  of 
crime  by  which  the  death  of  C.  L.  RICHARDSON  was 
hastened.  I  did  so  on  Sunday,  the  28th  September,  and 
it  is  now  my  painful  task  to  lay  before  you  the  informa- 
tion given  by  a  Japanese  woman. 

"The  woman  recollected  seeing  a  foreigner  fall  from  his 
horse,  on  the  afternoon  of  the  14th  of  September;  he 
had  a  large  wound  in  his  stomach  ;  went  up  to  him,  and 
he  immediately  asked  for  water,  but  she  took  him  none, 
because  too  much  afraid.  Afterwards  saw  him  drinking 

VOL.  i  o 


188  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

from  a  bottle  (Mr.  RICHARDSON  is  known  to  have  taken  a 
bottle  of  champagne  with  him  slung  upon  his  arm). 
She  asked  him  to  get  off  the  Tokaido,  because,  on  looking 
up  the  road,  she  saw  that  a  Daimio's  cortege  was  approach- 
ing. She  saw  one  of  the  advance  guard  of  the  train  draw  his 
sword  and  attempt  to  cut  the  wounded  foreigner's  throat, 
but  was  prevented  by  his  putting  up  both  his  hands ;  one 
of  his  hands  was  then  cut  away ;  more  men  came  up, 
drew  their  swords,  and  hacked  him ,  finally,  one  of  them 
caught  him  by  the  beard  and  cut  his  throat ;  they  then 
covered  up  the  body  with  straw  and  went  on. 

"In  reply  to  some  questions  the  woman  said  she  did 
not  recollect  any  orders  being  given  by  any  person  in  a 
norimon;  recognized  that  the  train  was  composed  of 
Satsuma's  men,  but  does  not  know  the  name  of  the  chief 
personage  in  the  procession.  The  woman  further  stated 
that  an  interval  of  about  ten  minutes  or  a  quarter  of  an 
hour  elapsed  from  the  time  the  foreigner  fell  until  the 
men  came  up  and  cut  Mr.  RICHARDSON'S  throat. 

"  I  have  thought  it  necessary  to  put  the  foregoing  in- 
formation on  record,  with  a  view  to  having  it  placed 
before  Her  Majesty's  Government,  and  I  trust  you  will 
approve  of  my  having  done  so." 

At  ihe'.post  mortem  examination,  made  by  Dr.  WILLIS, 
the  Legation  doctor,  no  less  than  ten  wounds  were 
found,  each  of  which,  as  his  evidence  declared,  was  mortal. 

A  litter  was  constructed  and  the  party  returned  with 
the  body  to  Kanagawa ;  there  they  met  detachments 
from  Her  Majesty's  ship  Centaur  and  the  French 
man-of-war ;  the  latter  under  the  command  of  Captain 
Count  D'HARCOURT,  and  accompanied  by  M.  DE  BELLE- 
COURT  and  his  body-guard.  They  learned  that  some 
two-sworded  men  had  drawn  their  weapons  upon  the 
French  guard,  and  had  menaced  a  party  of  four  other 
foreigners,  who  were  only  saved  by  one  of  them  keeping  his 
revolver  pointed  at  the  assailants,  who  thereupon  retired. 

It  might  have  been  expected  that  the  most  strenuous 
efforts  would  immediately  have  been  made  by  the 
British  Charge  d'Affaires  to  punish  the  assassins  and 


MEETING  OF  THE  RESIDENTS.  139 

their  chief,  and  to  prevent  the  possibility  of  their  escape. 
Every  one  was  roused  to  the  highest  pitch  of  indigna- 
tion ;  and  one  word  from  Colonel  NEALE  would  have  put 
every  available  man  in  motion  to  avenge  the  murder,  and 
to  seize  upon  the  chief  culprit.  But  that  word  he  would 
not  speak.  He  was  the  only  one  who  seemed  to  keep 
cool  on  the  occasion.  He  looked  at  what  would  have 
been  likely  to  follow  such  violent  action  as  was  proposed 
— the  certain  death  of  many  of  the  community ;  the 
inevitable  attack  on  the  settlement  by  Satsuma's  men  if 
SHIMADZU  were  captured ;  and  the  impossibility  of 
averting  any  longer  that  war  with  Japan,  which,  it  was 
the  general  belief  of  foreign  residents,  must  come  ere 
long,  but  which  the  English  Government  was  so  anxious 
to  avoid. 

A  meeting  of  the  residents  was  held  that  evening  at 
ten  o'clock,  at  which  nearly  all  the  members  of  the 
foreign  community  were  present.  The  chair  was  taken 
by  Captain  VYSE,  who  stated  that  he  had  that  moment 
returned  from  an  interview  with  Bear- Admiral  KTJPER,  who 
had  in  the  course  of  the  day  arrived  in  H.M.S.  Euryalus, 
accompanied  by  the  Ringdove  ;  that  the  Admiral  had 
already  been  informed  of  the  fearful  events  of  the  day, 
and  that  he  had  announced  his  intention  of  having  an 
interview  with  Colonel  NEALE  on  the  subject  at  noon  the 
next  day. 

The  following  resolutions  were  passed  :— 

1. — "  That  the  British,  French,  Dutch,  American  and 
Portuguese  authorities,  be  requested  to  take  such  im- 
mediate steps  as  seem  to  them  best  calculated  to  prevent 
the  recurrence  of  such  a  deplorable  event  as  has 
occurred  this  evening,  and  that  ample  reparation  be 
demanded  of  the  Japanese  Government  for  the  murderous 
attack  on  unarmed  British  subjects  peacefully  travelling 
within  treaty  limits." 

(A  proposition  to  request  the  foreign  authorities  to 


140  YOUNG  JAPAN*. 

land  1,000  men  with  sufficient  materiel  for  the  purpose  of 
arresting  the  guilty  parties  at  once,  and  to  take 
possession  of  Kanagawa,  was  rejected  as  being  an 
attempt  to  dictate  to  the  foreign  authorities  what  steps 
they  ought  to  take.) 

2. — "  That  in  consequence  of  the  explanation  given  by 
Her  Britannic  Majesty's  Consul  of  his  interview  with  the 
British  Admiral,  it  is  earnestly  desired  by  this  meeting 
that  the  commanders  of  the  foreign  forces  may  be  at 
once  conferred  with,  so  that  immediate  steps  may  be 
taken  to  secure,  if  possible,  the  person  of  the  daimio 
whose  retainers  have  committed  the  murder,  or  of  some 
of  his  high  officers,  in  order  to  guarantee  speedy  repara- 
tion for  the  horrible  outrage." 

3. — "That  a  deputation  be  appointed  to  wait  on  the 
naval  and  other  authorities." 

(The  deputation  was  then  appointed,  and  Captain 
VYSE  was  desired  to  introduce  its  members). 

4. — "  That  these  proceedings  be  for  the  present  kept 
sacredly  secret  amongst  ourselves,  lest  the  Japanese 
gain  any  information  as  to  the  course  of  action  proposed 
to  be  pursued." 

The  deputation,  accompanied  by  the  British  Consul, 
at  once  proceeded  on  board  H.  M.  S.  Euryalus,  and  the 
Admiral  rose  from  his  bed  to  receive  them.  It  was 
arranged  that,  as  he  did  not  feel  justified  in  taking  any 
steps  without  consulting  H.  B.  M.'s  Charge  d' Affaires, 
a  meeting  should  be  held  at  6  o'clock  the  next  morning 
at  the  residence  of  the  French  Minister. 

Having  then  visited  Captain  D'HARCOURT  and  Captain 
BUYS,  of  the  French  and  Dutch  men-of-war  respectively, 
and  obtained  their  promise  to  attend  the  proposed 
meeting,  they  called  upon  Colonel  NEALE. 

"  Colonel  NEALE  did  not,  they  said,  after  having  heard 
their  statement,  appear  either  to  approve  of  the  steps 
that  had  been  taken,  or  concur  in  what  was  proposed  to 
be  done.  Undemanding,  however,  that  the  meeting  was 


APPROVAL  OF  COLONEL  NEALE'g  ACTION.  141 

agreed  to  by  the  French  Minister,  the  English  Admiral, 
and  other  foreign  officials,  he  said  he  would  be  present, 
though  he  considered  it  a  most  unusual  proceeding,  and 
he  evinced  considerable  annoyance  at  any  meeting 
having  been  held  by  the  community." 

At  the  meeting  he  said  that  in  his  opinion  the 
proposed  measures  were  impracticable ;  but  that  if  they 
could  be  carried  out  with  any  chance  of  success  they 
would  be  tantamount  to  a  sudden  commencement  of 
hostilities  with  Japan,  and  result,  probably,  by  in- 
voluntarily engaging  H.  M.'s  Government  in  a  course  of 
action  it  had  not  contemplated. 

I  am  recording  events  the  issue  of  which  we  all  know 
now.  The  English  Government  approved  of  his  conduct, 
and  so  ultimately  did  the  foreign  communities  in  Japan ; 
but  at  first  the  latter  condemned  him  in  no  measured 
terms.  The  home  papers,  and  the  continental  press, 
some  in  plain  words,  others  in  more  guarded  language, 
called  him  coward,  and  said  that  an  enquiry  must  take 
place.  The  local  newspaper  in  republishing  extracts 
from  the  home  papers  said  that  doubtless  he  himself 
would  demand  an  enquiry,  to  clear  himself  of  the  charge 
of  cowardice,  and  to  prove  that  certain  statements  of 
Captain  VYSE  and  Lieut.  APPLIN  were  false.  And, 
noticing  certain  articles  that  appeared  in  the  Hongkong 
and  Shanghai  papers,  again  and  again  reiterated  the 
declaration  that  he  had  proved  himself  quite  unfit  for 
his  post,  and  that  he  ought  to  be  recalled.  All  this  he 
had  to  bear  for  several  months,  until  he  received 
replies  from  his  Government  to  his  dispatches  on  the 
subject.  His  position  must  have  been  a  very  painful 
one;  for  he  had  none  to  sympathize  with  him,  or  to 
approve  of  the  course  he  thought  proper  to  take  ;  and  he 
gave  great  offence  by  saying,  that  his  countrymen  could 
not  expect  to  be  better  off  than  he.  Attacks  had  been 


142  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

made  on  his  Legation,  and  dangers  threatened  him,  and 
they  must  not  suppose  that  they  could  be  exempt  from 
sharing  those  dangers. 

It  was  said  by  those  who  are  believed  to  be  the 
exponents  of  public  opinion,  that  had  he  acted  promptly, 
with  such  a  force  as  would  have  been  placed  at  his 
disposal  from  the  men-of-war  in  harbour,  his  own  Escort, 
the  French  Minister's  guard,  and  the  members  of  the 
community,  he  might  have  taken  SHIMADZU  SABURO  and 
routed  his  band  had  they  been  ten  times  the  number 
they  really  were.  But,  as  already  said,  Colonel  NEALE 
lookedf  to  the  after-consequences  ;  and,  in  the  end,  even 
those  who  were  most  bitter  against  him  admitted  that  he 
was  right. 

As  this  was  one  of  the  most  important  events  (from 
the  issues  it  led  to)  of  any  that  have  occurred  since  the 
making  of  the  Treaties,  it  will  be  well  to  dwell  upon  it  at 
some  length. 

Colonel  NEALE  was  not  idle.  He  required  that  every- 
thing should  be  done  calmly  and  in  order.  He  already 
had  the  case  of  the  murder  of  the  two  marines  before  the 
Shogun's  Government,  unsettled.  He  now  had  another 
murder  for  which  to  seek  atonement.  He  ordered  the 
Consul  to  communicate  the  circumstances  to  him 
officially,  and  then,  the  very  day  after  the  murder,  put 
himself  in  communication  with  the  Gorojiu. 

The  Yedo  Government  was  now  fairly  at  its  wits'  end. 
It  had  already  frequently  expressed  the  difficulties  in  its 
way  in  dealing  with  the  more  powerful  of  the  contu- 
macious dainiios  ;  and  it  was  said  that  at  a  conference 
between  the  Gorojiu  and  the  foreign  representatives  a 
wish  had  been  expressed  that  the  Western  Powers  should 
aid  the  Tycoon  in  curbing  the  turbulence  of  some  of  the 
disaffected  princes.  Be  that  as  it  may,  they  frankly 
confessed  their  inability  to  deal  with  SHIMADZU  SABUBO 


THE  JAPANESE  GOVERNMENT  EXPRESSES  REGRET..    143 

in  the  off-hand  way  that  was  demanded  of  them.  They 
undertook  to  do  all  in  their  power  to  bring  the  real 
culprits,  whoever  they  might  be,  to  justice ;  and  further, 
to  take  steps  for  the  better  protection  of  foreigners 
visiting  the  Tokaido.  This  they  did  by  establishing 
guard-houses  at  intervals  of  600  yards,  all  the  way  from 
Hodogaya  to  Kawasaki,  which  latter  was  the  limit  that 
foreigners  were  allowed  to  visit  in  the  direction  of  Yedo. 

It  will  be  observed  from  what  has  been  given  above,  that 
the  Japanese  justified  the  murder  on  the  ground  that  it 
was  compulsory  for  every  Japanese  not  of  the  rank  of 
samurai,  to  go  on  one  side  of  the  road  and  bow  down 
with  his  forehead  towards  the  ground  when  any  great 
man  passed  by.  Even  officers  of  inferior  rank  must 
draw  aside,  and,  if  on  horseback,  they  must  dismount. 
The  Englishmen  did  not  dismount,  and,  though  they 
say  they  were  already  close  in  to  the  side  of  the  road, 
the  Satsuma  men  say  they  were  not ;  and  as  they  seemed 
to  act  contemptuously  to  the  proud  man  whose  cortege 
they  met,  they  were  justly  cut  down. 

This  is  the  colouring  now  given  to  the  sad  affair.  It 
certainly  was  not  that  expressed  at  the  time  by  those 
most  in  contact  with  foreigners  in  Yokohama.  They 
were  as  much  horrified — or  expressed  themselves  as 
being  so — as  foreigners  themselves  were ;  and  certainly 
the  Government  never  put  forward  any  such  excuse  at 
the  time.  They  expressed  "  extreme  regret  at  the 
deplorable  event  that  had  occurred ; "  and  further 
added  : — 

"  We  have  been  thoroughly  informed  of  all  the 
circumstances,  and  sincerely  thank  H.  M.  Charge 
d' Affaires  for  the  course  which  has  been  adopted.  We 
are  fully  aware  of  the  excitement  which  prevailed  at 
Yokohama,  and  the  coercive  measures  against  the  dainiio 
and  his  cortege  which  have  been  so  urgently  pressed  in 
many  quarters," 


144  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

It  was  proposed,  and  the  scheme  was  partly  carried 
out,  to  make  a  new  road  for  the  daimios  and  others  to 
travel,  instead  of  the  Tokaido  within  the  treaty  limits, 
and  foreigners  agreed  not  to  use  this  new  road.  The 
erection  of  the  guard-houses,  which  were  manned  by 
five  men  each,  was  accomplished.  But  this  is  about  the 
extent  of  what  was  done.  And  here,  for  the  present, 
we  leave  this  lamentable  story. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

STATE  OF  PUBLIC  FEELING  IN  YOKOHAMA. — ENROLMENT  OF 
A  VOLUNTEER  CORPS. — MEETING  OF  LANDRENTER8. — AUTUMN 
RACE  MEETING. — TERRIBLE  VISITATION  OF  CHOLERA  IN  YEDO 
AND  YOKOHAMA. — NO  FOREIGNERS  ATTACKED  BY  IT. — ATTRAC- 
TIONS TO  JAPAN. — CHANGE  AMONG  THE  JAPANESE  AT  THE 
OPEN  PORTS. — INJUDICIOUS  FAMILIARITY. — STILL  MUCH  THAT 

WAS    AGREEABLE    PRESERVED. THE     SAMURAI    OR     MILITARY 

CLASS — THEIR  PRIVILEGES;  PROHIBITION  FROM  ANY  BUT 
SPECIAL  OCCUPATIONS  ;  OFFICIALS  SELECTED  FROM  THEM ; 

THEIR   IDLENESS  ;    CONCEIT  ;    CODE    OF   HONOUR. REMARK  OF 

A  DAIMIO  TO  SIR  RUTHERFORD  ALCOCK  ON  THIS  POINT. — JAPAN 
NO  PARADISE  BEFORE  OPENED  TO  FOREIGNERS. — ON  THE 
SUBJECT  OF  FOREIGN  INTERCOURSE  SAMURAI  GENERALLY 
ADOPTED  THE  VIEWS  OF  THEIR  PRINCE. — SHOGUN  OBLIGED  TO 
PLACE  A  LARGE  GUARD  FOR  THE  PROTECTION  OF  FOREIGNERS. — 
THE  DANGEROUS  CLASSES. — INCIDENT  IN  TOKIO  IN  1872,  AND 
CONVERSATION  WITH  AN  OFFICIAL. 

/ 

THOSE  who  live  in  the  foreign  settlements  of  Japan 
in  these  tranquil  times  can  form  but  a  poor  conception 
of  the  state  of  public  feeling  under  the  constant  deadly 
acts  and  threats  of  violence,  which  their  forerunners  were 
subjected  to.  On  the  24th  September  1862,  a  public 

VOL.  i  R 


146  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

meeting  was  held  at  the  house  of  Mr.  E.  CLARKE  (DENT 
&  Co.),  for  the  purpose  of  forming  a  Volunteer  Corps. 
The  first  resolution,  proposed  by  Mr.  S.  GOWER  (JARDINE, 
MATHESON  &  Co.),  was  : — 

"  That  any  of  the  Foreign  community  willing  to  join, 
should  form  themselves  into  a  Rifle  Corps  for  the 
defence  of  our  life  and  property." 

It  may  well  be  believed  that  in  the  angry  condition  of 
the  public  mind,  there  were  very  few  who  did  not  join. 
Mr.  GOWER  was  elected  its  captain  and  Mr.  W.  C. 
CLARKE,  one  of  the  gentlemen  so  recently  wounded, 
lieutenant. 

On  the  same  day  a  meeting  of  the  land-renters  was 
held,  at  which  a  very  different  subject  was  discussed : 
viz.,  whether  the  Bund,  which  was  being  formed,  could 
not  be  more  than  fifty  feet  wide  :  a  fact  that  shows  no 
expectation  of  the  port  being  closed,  either  on  the  part 
of  foreigners  or  Japanese.  It  was  resolved  that  as  the 
Board  of  Consuls  had  already  agreed  for  that  width 
with  the  Japanese  it  was  beyond  the  power  of  the 
meeting  to  alter  it.  The  powers  of  the  municipality 
were  then  brought  under  notice  ;  and  Mr.  SCHOYER  most 
truly  said  that  virtually  the  Municipal  Council  was 
powerless.  That  they  were  a  municipality  in  name  only, 
and  that  they  had  been  able  to  do  nothing  whatever.  It 
was  evident  that  they  had  not  sufficient  funds  for  getting 
on  with  any  really  useful  municipal  work. 

The  Autumn  Eace  meeting  took  place  on  the  1st  and 
2nd  August.  Mr.  MORRISON  had  but  one  pony  entered, 
and  he  was  unsuccessful.  It  was  now  that  the  game 
little  pony  Batavier,  that  held  his  own  against  all  comers 
for  so  many  meetings,  first  showed  the  mettle  that  was 
in  him.  He  won  easily  everything  he  went  for.  In  the 
"  Yokohama  Derby,"  2  miles  2  furlongs  and  126  yards, 
carrying  lOst  10  Ibs.,  he  not  only  did  as  he  liked  with  the 


CHOLERA  IN  YEDO  AND  YOKOHAMA.  147 

other  ponies  but  with  his  jockey  also,  for  the  newspaper 
report  of  the  race  sa}rs  : — "  but  Batarier,  who  was  full  of 
running,  won  easily,  his  rider  being  so  exhausted  that  his 
horse  made  two  more  voyages  round  the  course  before  he 
could  pull  him  up."  There  being  only  five  races  on  each 
day,  they  were  supplemented  by  foot  races  between  men 
of  the  services  of  various  nationalities. 

From  Yedo  accounts  came  of  cholera ;  and  it  was  stated 
that  there  were  buried  during  a  period  of  six  weeks, 
according  to  the  registers  of  the  Buddhist  temples,  no 
less  than  224,808  persons,  of  whom  there  were  men 
71,095,  women  101,391,  and  children  52,322.  In  Yoko- 
hama and  the  small  villages  around,  from  the  same 
disease,  900  died.  And  yet,  people  were  coming  over 
here  from  China  under  the  impression  that  they  escaped 
the  risk  of  this  fell  disease.  The  Japanese  have  tried  to 
make  out  that  it  was  imported  into  this  country  by 
foreigners ;  but  according  to  their  own  annals,  there  was 
plenty  of  it  here  long  before  the  treaties  were  made. 
There  were,  however,  attractions  in  Japan,  that  proved  a 
strong  incentive  to  all  who  could  to  pay  it  a  visit.  In 
point  of  fact,  so  far  as  cholera  was  concerned,  no 
Europeans  were  attacked  by  it ;  and  the  beauty  of  the 
country,  the  general  healthiness  of  the  climate,  and  the 
pleasant  cordiality  of  the  people — apart  from  those 
who  were  avowedly  hostile — were  powerful  inducements. 
Everything  was  so  novel,  so  totally  unlike  anything  met 
with  elsewhere,  that  a  strong  curiosity  was  aroused;  and 
the  visitors,  however  highly  their  expectations  had  been 
raised,  either  by  what  they  read  or  by  what  they  heard, 
were  never  disappointed.  Even  now  strangers  from  afar 
are  delighted  with  the  country  and  the  people.  The 
former  is  not  liable  to  much  change,  at  least  in  its  general 
features  ;  but  the  people,  wherever  they  have  came  largely 
into  connection  with  foreigners,  and  more  particularly  at 


148  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

the  open  parts,  are  very  different  in  their  manners  and 
general  demeanour.  As  a  race,  with  all  their  suavity 
and  politeness,  they  possess  an  amount  of  independence, 
which  was  speedily  displayed  when  acted  upon  and 
aroused  by  the  brusque  and  off-hand  bearing  of 
foreigners  ;  and  this  was  even  intensified  by  the  familiarity 
with  which  they  were  treated — so  different  to  anything 
they  were  accustomed  to  among  themselves.  I  can  never 
forget  my  surprise  at  a  scene  I  witnessed  on  the  evening 
of  the  first  day  I  landed  in  Japan.  It  was  in  Nagasaki. 
After  dining  at  the  house  of  some  bachelor  friends,  when 
the  table  was  cleared,  and  we  all  adjourned  to  the  spa- 
cious verandah,  to  enjoy  the  coolness  of  the  evening, 
having  sat  and  talked  for  a  while,  nothing  better  offered 
itself  as  a  means  of  pastime  than  for  some  of  the  young 
fellows  to  put  on  the  gloves,  or  to  have  a  bout  at  single- 
stick. Presently  the  "  boys  "  who  had  been  waiting  on 
us  came  to  look  on,  evidently  with  a  desire  to  share  in  the 
amusements — a  wish  in  which  they  were  soon  gratified  ; 
and  it  was  quite  evident  from  the  style  they  shaped  to 
their  work  that  they  were  no  longer  novices.  First  they 
stood  up  to  face  some  of  their  masters,  and  then  were 
pitted  against  each  other.  It  is  very  certain  that  all 
distinctions  of  rank  would  very  soon  disappear  under 
such  influences  as  these. 

But  everywhere  the  effect  of  intercourse  with  foreigners 
has  been  deleterous  to  the  conduct  of  the  natives.  If,  at 
the  first  meeting,  there  was  an  apparent  amount  of 
obsequiousness  in  their  salutation,  that  speedily  disap- 
peared ;  and  their  innocent,  open-hearted  cordiality,  their 
undisguised  but  not  offensive  curiosity,  their  jovial  wil- 
lingness to  amuse  or  be  amused,  rendered  the  men  agree- 
able ;  while  the  pretty  manners  and  the  merriment  of  the 
woman-kind  were  simply  charming.  Then  there  was  the 
welcome  almost  universally  accorded  to  foreigners  who 


THE  MILITARY  CLASS.  149 

in  passing  sought  to  rest  themselves,  and  the  cheerful 
greeting,  "  Ohai-o,"  that  was  never  wanting  from  those 
who  were  met  on  the  roads,  or  from  the  labourers  in  the 
fields  or  the  inhabitants  of  the  villages  ; — for  these  never 
showed  any  hostility  to  foreigners,  nor  annoyed  them  by 
any  kind  of  rudeness  or  disrespect. 

But  it  was  not  always  that  this  geniality  between 
natives  and  foreigners  was  evinced.  The  military  class, 
or  samurai,  were  distinct  from  all  other  classes,  and 
between  them  and  the  heimin  or  common  people  there 
was  a  great  gulf  fixed.  I  have  already  said  that  they  were 
a  kind  of  hereditary  aristocracy  and  had  special  privileges. 
Even  the  lowest  and  poorest  ranked  above  the  richest 
commoner  ;  and  often  did  they  make  their  power  felt  in 
the  most  disagreeable  way. 

They  had  the  dearly-prized  right  to  carry  two  swords, 
and  to  wear  garments  of  a  peculiar  design.  No  com- 
moner dare  appear  in  the  streets  either  in  the  hakama 
(trowsers,  very  loose  in  the  leg,  made  of  silk  or  cotton)  or 
carrying  two  swords ;  although  there  were  some  wealthy 
men,  who  obtained,  either  by  purchase  or  by  some 
meritorious  action,  permission  to  carry  one  sword. 

The  samurai  were  the  military  retainers  of  the  daimios 
or  of  the  Shogun.  They  received  their  pay  in  kind,  not 
in  money,  from  their  feudal  master,  and  were  forbidden 
to  have  anything  to  do  with  trade,  or  indeed  with  any 
other  occupations  but  such  as  would  fit  them  for  official 
life  in  the  service  of  their  chief.  Military  tactics  and 
exercises  they  were  trained  to  from  a  very  earl}'  age ;  but 
Chinese  and  Japanese  literature  was  their  principal 
study.  Every  daimio  had  his  ministers  of  state  and  go- 
vernment officials,  each  one  of  whom  was  selected  from 
the  samurai;  and  it  often  happened  that  the  offices 
descended  from  father  to  son,  nothing  but  very  special 
merit  raising  a  man  to  the  higher  grades.  The  con- 


150  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

sequence  was  that  most  of  the  two-sworded  men  led  a 
life  of  comparative  idleness.  They  had  no  particular 
object  for  exertion.  They  read  only  such  books  as  bore 
on  military  science,  or  on  the  ancient  history  of  their 
own  country.  They  knew,  with  a  few  honorable  excep- 
tions, nothing  whatever  of  the  outer  world ;  and  were 
puffed  up  with  the  conceit  that  Japan  was — if  not  the 
world,  at  all  events  the  greatest  country  in  it.  They 
had  a  most  rigid  code  of  honour,  the  central  feature  of 
which  was  loyalty  to  their  chief.  When  his  will  was 
known,  it  was  not  for  them  to  reason  but  implicitly  to 
obey.  I  well  remember  a  review  of  British  troops  which 
took  place  in  1864,  before  Sir  EUTHERFOKD  ALCOCK  and 
SAKAI  HIGO-NO-KAMI,  a  member  of  the  Gorojiu,  who 
visited  Yokohama  under  an  escort  of  his  own  retainers. 
The  latter  were  drawn  up  at  the  side  of  the  parade 
ground — a  portion  of  the  then  lately-reclaimed  swamp — 
and  watched  with  great  interest  the  manoeuvres  of  the 
XXth  Kegiment,  the  Eoyal  Marines,  and  the  two  batteries 
of  Artillery  then  stationed  here.  At  the  close  of  the 
review,  Coloned  BROWNE  of  the  XXth  Kegiment,  who  was 
in  command,  rode  forward,  and  asked  Sir  EUTHERFORD  if 
he  could  prevail  upon  the  daimio  at  his  side  to  allow  his 
men  to  go  through  their  drill  and  tactics,  which  he  oblig- 
ingly did.  But  he  turned  to  Sir  EUTHERFORD,  and  said 
with  an  inimitable  air  of  confidence  and  pride — "My 
retinue  is  small,  and  their  tactics  are  not  worthy  of  notice 
after  what  wre  have  seen,  but  there  is  not  one  man  among 
them  who  if  I  say  '  Die  !  '  will  not  unhesitatingly  sacrifice 
his  life  at  my  command." 

This  was  not  a  mere  boast ;  for,  unfortunately,  since 
foreigners  came  to  Japan,  too  many  instances  have  oc- 
curred of  samurai,  both  high  and  low,  having  to  commit 
suicide,  on  the  simple  command  of  their  chief  or 
superior. 


THE  DANGEROUS  CLASSES.  151 

It  is  sometimes  thought  that  Japan  was  a  paradise 
before  foreigners  came  to  it.  In  reality  it  was  not  more 
so  than  other  countries.  In  spite  of  severe  penalties  for 
almost  all  crimes,  and  a  system  of  surveillance  in  excess 
of  anything  known  elsewhere,  crimes  were  rife,  and  the 
execution  grounds  were  in  more  frequent  use  than  was 
known  in  other  lands  save  in  times  of  revolution  and 
anarchy.  Besides  this  their  moral  code  (if  I  may  use 
the  term)  was  of  a  very  low  standard  and  frequently  led 
to  most  lamentable  consequences.  The  very  existence  of 
the  samurai  was  a  frequent  curse  to  the  respectable 
citizens  and  commoners;  and  if  the  exclusion  from 
foreign  intercourse  was  productive  of  ignorance,  that 
ignorance  was — anything  but  innocence,  and  certainly 
not — bliss. 

The  advent  of  foreigners  having  raised  a  whirlwind 
about  the  devoted  government  of  the  Shogun,  the  re- 
tainers of  all  those  daimios  who  were  opposed  to  the 
treaties,  as  a  matter  of  course  took  up  the  same  views, 
and  were  most  bitterly  hostile  to  foreigners.  It  has 
already  been  seen  how  fatally  so.  The  Shogun  was 
obliged  for  our  protection  to  have  a  large  number  of  his 
own  soldiers  or  those  of  daimios  who  were  still  obedient 
to  him,  both  in  and  around  the  settlement ;  but  it  was 
well  known  that  there  were  many  ronins  who  were  ever 
lying  in  wait,  seeking  opportunities  to  molest  us.  They 
often  came  into  the  settlement,  and,  as  in  the  case  of  the 
murdered  Kussians  and  the  two  Dutch  captains,  whet 
their  swords,  even  within  our  own  precincts.  The  green- 
coated  men,  who  were  our  guardians,  never  attempted  to 
disperse  them.  Indeed  until  they  had  committed  any 
depredations  it  is  hard  to  see  how  they  could  be  inter- 
fered with  ;  and  in  point  of  fact  we  looked  upon  .them  all 
with  suspicion,  and  spoke  of  all  alike  as  the  dangerous 
classes, 


152  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

In  1872,  long  after  this  state  of  things  had  come  to 
an  end,  I  stood  in  the  main  street  of  Tokio,  (the  city  we 
have  hitherto  called  Yedo),  among  a  crowd  of  Japanese 
who  had  assembled  to  see  His  Majesty  the  Mikado 
pass  in  his  carriage,  on  the  occasion  of  his  paying  a  state 
visit  to  the  first  "Exhibition"  held  in  the  Confucian 
Temple,  in  the  old  capital  of  the  Tycoon.  I  entered 
into  conversation  with  a  man  who  seemed  to  have  a 
great  deal  to  do  with  keeping  the  street  clear;  and  I 
think  the  circumstance  worth  relating.  He  was  in  a  very 
seedy  kind  of  European  dress,  with  certainly  no  preten- 
sions to  be  called  a  uniform. 

There  were  many  police,  with  whom  for  some  time  he 
was  busy,  going  from  one  to  another  and  evidently  either 
giving  directions  or  suggestions.  At  all  events  they  re- 
ceived all  he  said  to  them  with  great  respect,  and  seemed 
to  hear  all  he  had  to  say  as  if  he  had  a  right  to  say  it. 
At  length  he  came  and  stood  by  me,  and  after  asking 
my  nationality  and  one  or  two  questions  with  which 
Japanese  often  commence  conversation  with  a  foreigner, 
I  remarked  that  it  was  a  pleasant  thing  to  see  the 
Mikado  driving  about  the  streets  among  his  people,  as 
the  sovereigns  of  other  countries  do.  He,  out  of 
politeness,  agreed  with  all  I  said  ;  and  having  done  so, 
began  to  give  me  his  opinion.  He  thought  that  all  this 
was  as  it  should  be  ;  that  the  people  were  attaining  an 
amount  of  freedom  that  could  not  have  been  thought  of 
formerly ;  although  everybody  in  the  service  of  the 
late  Shogun  knew  that  he  was  devising  schemes  for 
introducing  all  the  changes  that  have  since  taken  place ; 
not  excepting  the  placing  the  Mikado  in  his  just  position 
as  the  de  facto  emperor.  "  But,"  he  said,  "  all  that 
might  and  would  have  been  brought  about  without  the 
violent  upsetting  of  the  prospects  in  life  of  hundreds  of 
thousands  of  men.  The  plan  of  YOSHI-NOBU  he  believed 


CONVERSATION  WITH  AN  OFFICIAL.  158 

to  be  to  make  the  Mikado  in  most  respects  what  he  is  now. 
He  would  either  have  established  a  parliament  of 
daimios,  or  have  allowed  them  to  be  a  kind  of  upper 
house,  with  a  parliament  consisting  of  men  of  ability 
appointed  from  each  province.  There  would  have  been 
no  civil  war;  the  reduction  of  nobles  into  mere  com- 
moners would  have  been  unnecessary;  everything 
would  have  been  settled  by  the  parliament ; "  (he 
spoke  in  Japanese,  but  always  made  use  of  the 
word  parliament) ;  "  and  Yedo  would  not  have  been 
destroyed."  I  enquired  to  what  he  alluded  in  this  last 
remark.  He  said,  "  Perhaps  you  did  not  know  the  city 
when  we  called  it  Yedo,  before  its  name  was  changed  to 
Tokio."  I  answered  that  I  had  visited  it  during  that 
time. 

"  Then,"  said  he,  "you  have  only  to  look  around  and 
find  a  meaning  for  my  remark." 

He  took  me  a  few  paces  down  the  street  and  pointed 
to  a  large  temple,  very  deserted  and  delapidated-looking, 
that  stood  at  the  end  of  a  small  street  at  right  angles 
with  the  street  in  which  we  were,  and  asked : — 

"  Do  you  remember  this  temple  as  it  used  to  be  ? " 

"  Yes,  very  well  indeed." 

"  Had  it  the  appearance  then  that  it  has  now?" 

"  No." 

"Indeed,  no!"  he  said,  bitterly.  "It  was  always 
in  good  repair.  The  people  flocked  to  it  all  day 
long ;  the  priests  were  numerous  and  had  the  means 
and  the  will  to  do  their  duty  to  the  temple  and  to 
the  people  ;  but  now  you  may  stand  here  for  half  an 
hour  and  not  see  a  score  of  worshippers,  and  very  likely 
not  a  single  priest.  Ah,"  he  added  as  one  came  from  the 
back  of  the  temple,  "  there  is  one,  but  if  you  only  read 
his  thoughts  by  his  looks,  you  can  trace  the  altered 
condition  of  his  circumstances." 

VOL.  i  s 


154  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

He  proceeded  to  tell  me  how  the  present  Government 
had  been  persecuting  not  only  the  Christian  religion  but 
the  Buddhist,  which  for  centuries  had  existed  with 
Sintooism,  side  by  side,  in  the  most  friendly  manner, 
often  occupying  the  same  temples.  He  said  in- 
dignantly : — 

"Why  should  Sintooism,  which,  although  the  religion 
of  the  Emperor,  is  the  religion  of  only  a  small  minority 
of  the  people,  attempt  to  put  down  Buddhism,  which  is 
the  faith  of  a  very  large  majority  ?  It  may  be  a  punish- 
ment to  us,  because  too  many  of  us  have  ceased  to  have 
any  religion  at  all.  But  be  that  as  it  may,  this  Govern- 
ment has  put  its  foot  upon  the  neck  of  Buddhism,  and 
if  you  go  from  one  temple  to  another  throughout  the 
length  and  breadth  of  Yedo,  (he  called  it  Yedo  several 
times,  although  the  name  had  been  changed),  you  will 
hardly  find  one  Buddhist  temple  that  retains  the  glory 
of  other  days.  TOKUGAWA  protected  Sintoo  temples,  why 
cannot  the  Mikado  respect  ours  ?" 

We  returned  to  the  spot  where  we  had  commenced  our 
conversation,  and  for  some  time  he  continued  to  harp  on 
this  subject  of  the  priests  ;  at  length  the  current  of  our 
discourse  was  changed  by  an  officer  passing  along  the 
street,  who  made  a  very  low  obeisance  to  him,  stopping 
before  him  to  show  this  mark  of  respect.  He  was 
remarkably  well  dressed,  and  I  asked  what  was  his 
rank.  He  replied,  "  Oh !  he  is  only  an  officer  of  the 
police — like  myself  holding  a  very  different  position  to 
that  he  formerly  held." 

"May  I,  without  impertinence  enquire,  what  rank 
you  formerly  held  ?" 

"  No  impertinence,  at  all.  I  am  an  old  TOKUGAWA 
hatamoto,  and  on  one  occasion  was  sent  by  the  Tycoon 
to  Kioto,  the  bearer  of  a  missive  from  the  Yedo,  to  the 
Kioto,  Court.  Then,  as  I  passed  along  the  road,  the 


OPINION  AS  TO  THE  OLD  AND  NEW  REGIME.  155 

people  were  obliged  to  bow  down  even  more  submissively 
than  you  will  see  them  do  to-day  when  the  Mikado 
comes." 

"May  I  ask  whether  you  hold  any  office  now  ?" 

"  A  very  small  one.  My  salary  is  under  twenty  rios  a 
month,  and  I'm  glad  to  get  it." 

As  he  did  not  tell  me  what  his  particular  office  was,  I 
supposed  he  preferred  to  keep  it  to  himself,  and  did  not 
press  the  question. 

The  imperial  arrival  did  not  take  place  for  fully  an 
hour  after  our  conversation  commenced ;  but  from  the 
fact  of  my  having  fallen  in  with  such  a  companion,  the 
delay  was  not  so  wearisome  as  such  waitings  generally  are. 

My  friend  now  began  to  put  many  questions  to 
me  respecting  myself  ;  my  residence  and  business  in 
Yokohama ;  my  preference  for  Yokohama  or  Yedo ;  my 
opinions  of  the  Japanese,  and  whether  I  liked  the  old 
or  new  state  of  things  best.  To  this  last  I  replied : — 

"  Long  before  the  revolution  I  saw  that  it  was 
inevitable ;  and  that  during  the  whole  of  it  I  had  been 
favourable  to  the  TOKUGAWA  cause,  because  I  believed 
that  the  Government  of  YOSHI-HISA  was  honestly  the 
friend  of  foreigners,  and  most  patriotically  desirous  of 
introducing  reforms  such  as  he  had  described  in  the 
early  part  of  our  conversation.  But  looking,  not  at 
what  might  have  been,  but  at  what  actually  was,  I 
was  satisfied  that  Japan  was  now  in  a  far  nobler  position 
than  she  ever  was  before — whoever  had  been  the  author 
of  the  change.  My  individual  position  at  the  moment 
proved  it.  I  was  standing  in  a  crowd  of  Japanese,  in 
the  heart  of  Yedo,  quite  unarmed,  and  without  a  thought 
of  danger ;  speaking  to  a  gentleman  as  friend  to  friend, 
who  probably  five  or  ten  years  ago  would  not  have 
condescended  to  notice  me,  or  if  he  did  so  at  all,  only  to 
shew  his  contempt  for  the  "  foreign  barbarian." 


156  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

He  laughed  and  replied: — "  Not  so  bad  as  that.  You 
know  we  didn't  understand  foreigners  then  so  well  we  as 
do  now.  When  we  met  them  we  knew  that  they  had  an 
uneasy  feeling  lest  we  should  draw  our  swords  ;  but  we 
in  like  manner  used  to  look  out  of  the  side  of  our  eye  as 
we  passed,  lest  the  foreigner  should  draw  his  revolver 
and  shoot  us." 

"  But  we  never  did  anything  of  the  kind ;  and  your 
people  have  repeatedly  cut  us  down." 

"  Yes  !  But  most  of  us — I  may  say,  all  the  Yedo  men 
— regretted  it.  We  do  not  admire  murderers,  be  they 
whomsoever  they  may.  But  I  assure  you  that  I  have 
seen  foreigners  take  out  their  revolvers,  perhaps  only 
to  shew  that  they  had  them,  in  a  very  menacing  manner, 
and  in  a  way  that  made  me  feel  very  uncomfortable  at 
the  time.  Besides  it  has  often  happened  that  when  we 
had  to  request  of  foreigners  that  they  would  keep  out  of 
danger  that  we  knew  of — such  for  instance,  as  keeping 
off  of  the  Tokaido  when  particular  functionaries  passed 
along — they  would  answer  proudly  that  their  treaty  rights 
were  being  invaded  and  they  would  not  consent  to  abstain. 
They  may  not  have  been  to  blame,  but  we  thought  they 
were ;  and  they  little  knew  the  anxiety  we  felt  in  their 
behalf  lest  any  harm  should  come  to  them.  There  were 
some  princes  whose  retainers  nothing  could  restrain : 
and  the  refusal  of  foreigners  to  dismount  from  their 
horses,  or  to  leave  the  road  during  the  passage  of  a  high 
officer  or  daimio,  gave  great  offence.  I  remember  that 
at  the  funeral  obsequies  of  the  Shogun  who  preceded 
YOSHI-HISA,  one  young  man,  an  interpreter  of  a  foreign 
Legation,  insisted  on  making  his  way  into  Shiba,  which 
was  then  closed  not  only  to  foreigners  but  to  Japanese. 
He  was  remonstrated  with,  but  he  doggedly  went  on,  and 
under  any  other  circumstances  than  such  a  very  solemn 
occasion,  he  -would  certainly  have  been  cut  down.  We 


END  OF  INTEEVIEW.  157 

should  have  been  blamed,  but  it  would  have  been  entirely 
through  his  own  fault." 

I  asked  if  he  knew  the  name  of  the  young  man.  He 
told  me,  and  the  legation  to  which  he  belonged — but  for 
obvious  reasons  I  do  not  publish  either  the  one  or  the 
other.  My  companion  added:  "He  is  in  good  favour 
with  the  existing  Government,  and  is  at  present  in 
Europe.  Probably  he  would  not  act  so  unwisely  now,  as 
he  has  more  experience ;  but  I  was  engaged  in  the  proces- 
sion that  day,  and  trembled  for  him." 

Our  conversation  continued  some  time  longer,  only 
occasionally  interrupted  by  my  companion  rushing 
forward  to  say  something  to  the  police,  but  he  always 
came  straight  back,  and  seemed  sorry  at  length  that  the 
word  was  passed  for  the  people  to  shita-ni-iro  (bow  down) 
and  the  guard  who  preceded  the  Imperial  carriage  hove 
in  sight.  The  cortege  having  passed,  we  bade  each  other 
farewell,  after  he  had  received  my  address,  and  given  his 
promise  to  look  me  up. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

OHARA'S  MISSION. — VARIOUS  REASONS  ASSIGNED  FOR  SHIMA- 
DZU  SABURO'S  ACCOMPANYING  IT. — ABOLITION  OF  ENFORCED 
RESIDENCE  OF  THE  DAIMIOS  IN  YEDO. — EXODUS  OF  DAIMIOS, 
THEIR  FAMILIES  AND  RETAINERS,  FROM  THE  CITY. — THE 

CONSEQUENT  EFFECT  ON  THE  CAPITAL. — DOINGS  OF  THE 
RONINS. — THE  EX-PRINCE  OF  TOSA  ARRIVES  IN  KIOTO. — SAT- 
CIIO-TO. — TWO  LATER  MISSIONS  FROM  THE  MIKADO  TO  THE 
TYCOON. — TYCOON  RESOLVES  TO  COMPLY  WITH  THE  ORDER  TO 
VISIT  KIOTO. — AGITATION  AMONG  FOREIGN  RESIDENTS  KEPT  UP 
BY  FLYING  RUMOURS. — CONSULAR  NOTIFICATION. — INDIGNATION 
OF  FOREIGNERS. — GREAT  CHANGES  THAT  HAVE  TAKEN  PLACE 
ON  THE  TOKAIDO. — NOW  DESERTED  IN  CONSEQUENCE  OF  THE 
CONSTRUCTION  OF  A  RAILWAY  BETWEEN  YOKOHAMA  AND  YEDO. 
— PICTURE  OF  IT  AS  IT  WAS  IN  1868. — DESCRIPTION  OF  IT  AS 
SEEN  BY  KCEMPFFER  TWO  CENTURIES  AGO. — UYENO-NO-MIYA. 

REVERTING  to  political  matters,  I  will  go  back  a  little, 
and  speak  of  the  mission  of  OHARA  from  the  Mikado  to 
Yedo.  I  have  already  stated  that  he  was  accompanied 
by  SHIMADZU  SABURO  and  a  large  array  of  Satsuma  men. 
I  am  not  aware  that  it  has  ever  been  ascertained  with 
any  degree  of  certainty  why  it  was  that  the  old  custom 
was  departed  from,  and  the  Satsuma  clan  were  substitut- 


"  BANKIN  "    ABOLISHED.  159 

ed  for  the  soldiers  of  the  Shogun  in  forming  this  escort. 
Nor,  to  my  knowledge,  has  it  even  been  correctly  as- 
certained why  SHIMADZU  SABURO  visited  Yedo  in  person  at 
this  particular  time.  Various  reasons  were  given  at  the 
time.  Some  said  his  object  was  to  obtain  from  the 
Shogun  the  removal  of  his  son  from  the  daimioship  of 
the  clan,  and  his  own  appointment  to  the  office.  Mr. 
ADAMS  says  it  was  stated  that  one  of  his  principal  aims 
was  "  to  obtain  the  concurrence  of  the  Shogun  to  his 
being  invested  with  a  certain  rank  at  the  Mikado's  court 
(that  ofjiu-fio-i-no-f/e),  and  to  his  being  created  OSUMI-NO- 
IVAMI."  Mr.  HOUSE  says  he  was  the  bearer  of  communi- 
cations directly  from  the  Mikado.  It  appears  that  what- 
ever his  desires  were,  they  were  thwarted  by  the  Yedo 
Government ;  and  that  the  Shogun  refused  him  an 
audience  and  referred  him  to  the  Gorojiu.  I  am  inclined 
to  the  opinion  that  I  have  heard  expressed  among  Japa- 
nese, that  he  came  to  Yedo  by  the  imperial  command  at 
his  own  wish  in  charge  of  the  OHARA  mission ;  partly  that 
he  might  execute  some  business  on  behalf  of  the  clan ; 
and  partly  that  he  might  lend  his  powerful  voice  in  the 
great  question  affecting  the  enforced  residence  of  the 
daimios  in  Yedo.  It  is  useless  speculating  on  this  ;  as 
it  will  probably  never  be  known,  unless  an  account 
should  be  published  at  some  future  day  by  his  authority, 
giving  more  fully  the  Satsuma  version  of  this  portion  of 
Japanese  history. 

The  Fukko-yiime-monogatari,  a  translation  of  which 
appeared  in  the  Far  East,  relates : — On  the  15th 
day  of  the  8th  month  a  notification  was  issued 
by  the  government  of  the  Shogun  to  the  effect 
that  the  "Sankin"  (the  obligatory  residence  of  dai- 
mios and  hatamotos),  was  abolished — i.e.  that  they  were 
no  longer  obliged  to  live  in  Yedo  with  their  wives  and 
families,  but  might  reside  in  their  own  dominions,  if  they 


160  VOTING  JAPAN. 

liked.  Several  other  laws  also,  made  by  IYEYAS'  in  order 
to  retain  full  power  over  the  daimios  were  abolished.  No 
sooi^er  was  this  promulgated  than  all  the  daimios  with 
their  families  and  retainers  left  the  capital ;  and  by  this 
movement,  the  prosperity  of  Yedo  which  had  lasted  over 
250  years,  was  lost.  "  With  Yedo  also  fell  the  influence 
and  power  of  TOKUGAWA.  Many  citizens  shut  up  their 
shops  and  returned  to  their  native  provinces.  The 
ronins  of  Kioto  seized  many  TOKUGAWA  officials.  They 
were  not  now  called  ronins  but  scigishi — true  or  lawful 
samurai.  In  Kioto  many  TOKUGAWA  officers  were  slain, 
and  their  heads  exposed  at  Sanjo-kawara  and  Shijo- 
kawara.  Indeed  many  of  them  were  so  discouraged  as 
to  commit  suicide  :  whilst  others  fled,  taking  their  wives 
and  children.  Those  who  had  courage  enough  to  stay 
had  not  courage  enough  to  face  a  ronin.  In  the  streets  if 
they  saw  one,  they  would  cross  over  or  turn  a  corner  in 
order  to  avoid  him.  To  their  great  surprise  they  saw 
several  of  the  large  daimios  arrive  in  Kioto  to  serve  the 
Mikado,  but  refusing  to  obey  the  Shogun." 

Amongst  others  YAMANO-UCHI-KE,  MATSUDAIEA  TOSA-NO- 
KAMI — a  daimio  of  242,000  kokus,  and  one  of  the  most 
resolute  and  popular  men  in  the  Empire — came  to  Kioto. 
He  was  immediately  ordered  by  the  Mikado  to  ally  him- 
self with  the  chiefs  of  Satsuma  and  Choshiu  in  the  im- 
perial service.  These  three  clans,  acting  together,  at- 
tained great  influence.  They  were  spoken  of  as  Sat-cho-to. 
a  word  coined  by  joining  together  the  first  syllables  of 
their  names,  and  it  was  these  three  clans  who  took  the 
most  prominent  part  in  effecting  the  changes  which  cul- 
minated in  1868. 

One  of  the  orders  contained  in  the  Mikado's  letter,  it 
will  be  remembered,  was,  that  the  Shogun  should  repair 
to  Kioto.  This  was  a  proceeding  for  which  there  was  no 
precedent  during  more  than  two  centuries,  and  there  was 


REQUESTS  TO  AVOID  THE  TOKAIDO.  161 

some  hesitation  in  obeying  the  mandate.  In  the  last 
month  of  the  year  1862,  therefore,  two  other  missions 
were  dispatched  to  Yedo,  one  of  which  was  composed  of 
SANJO  CHIUNAGON  SANEYOSHI,  (the  present  Daijo  Daijin  or 
prime  minister),  and  ANE-NO-KOJI  SHOSHO,  who  a  few 
months  later  was  basely  assassinated. 

The  result  of  these  various  missions  was,  a  resolution 
on  the  part  of  the  Shogun,  to  visit  Kioto  in  the  spring. 

The  agitation  in  the  minds  of  foreign  residents  in 
Yokohama  was  constantly  kept  up  by  the  flying  rumours, 
designedly  and  industriously  circulated  among  them,  of 
ronins  in  the  neighbourhood  ;  and  further  by  the  frequent 
requests  of  the  Governor  of  Kanagawa  that  on  certain 
days  foreigners  should  avoid  the  Tokaido  in  consequence 
of  the  passing  of  some  great  personage  with  his  train. 
Thus,  on  the  12th  October  1862,  a  month  after  the 
murder  of  Mr.  EICHAKDSON,  the  following  was  issued  from 
the  British  Consulate  : — 

NOTIFICATION. 

Whereas,  by  a  notification  of  the  15th  September, 
British  subjects  have  been  generally  cautioned  respecting 
the  insecurity  attending  riding  or  walking  on  the  Tokaido 
until  the  Japanese  Government  have  completed  the 
measures  of  precaution  upon  which  they  are  at  present 
engaged,  the  undersigned,  H.  B.  M.'s  Consul,  has  received 
instructions  from  H.  M.'s  Charge  d'affaires  to  issue  a 
further  and  special  notification  to  the  effect  (that  the 
Japanese  Government  have  earnestly  requested  him  to 
caution  British  subjects  that  a  high  personage,  the  son 
of  a  former  Mikado,  will  pass  along  the  road  from 
Miako  to  Yedo,  accompanied  by  a  numerous  retinue,  on 
the  15th,  16th,  and  17th  instant,  when  he  will  be  at  the 
places  respectively  mentioned  below. 

The  undersigned  has  also  been  instructed  to  inform 
those  under  his  jurisdiction  that  although  the  former 
notification  remains  in  force  until  complete  measures  of 
security  are  adopted,  it  is  nevertheless  advisable  that 
this  special  communication  should  be  made  known  to 

VOL.   I  T 


162  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

British  subjects,  the  Japanese  Government  having  ex- 
pressed their  great  fear  lest  any  recurrence  of  the  recent 
lamentable  event  should  take  place. 

(Signed)  F.  HOWARD  VYSE, 

II.  B.  M:S  Consul. 
Stops  at  Yenoshima  }   Qn   fa       ^ 
Sleeps  at        „  j 

Stops  at  Kanagawa  \  Qn  th    mh 
Sleeps  at        ,,          j 

Stops  at  Kawasaki  )    ^    ,1     .,„,,   • 
Sleeps  at        „          j  On  the  17th  instant. 

The  residents  received  this  intimation  with  intense  in- 
dignation. The  foreign  ministers  took  independent 
action  upon  it.  Mr.  PRUYN,  the  U.  S.  Minister  and  Mr. 
DE  WITT,  the  Netherlands  Minister  notified  their  fellow- 
countrymen  in  the  words  of  the  Japanese  circular,  with- 
out any  comment.  We  see  above  how  the  British 
Charge  d'affaires  published  it ;  and  the  Portuguese  Consul 
issued  a  notification  in  somewhat  similar  terms.  But 
MONS.  DE  BELLECOURT,  Minister  for  France,  after  long 
conferences  with  the  ministers  for  foreign  affairs,  in  which 
he  argued  the  question  fully  and  pressed  strongly  upon 
them  the  advantage  of  making  a  totally  new  road  by 
which  daimios  could  reach  Yedo  without  passing  Kana- 
gawa, issued  a  short  notification  to  his  countrymen  of  his 
having  been  informed  of  the  passage  of  some  dignitary 
on  the  days  specified.  At  the  same  time  he  circulated 
for  his  countrymen's  information,  the  letter  which  he  had 
received  from  the  authorities,  and  his  own  answer  there- 
to, in  which  he  pointed  out  to  the  Japanese  very  strongly, 
how  they  were  asking  for  concessions  to  which  they  had 
no  right  by  Treaty,  and  that  this  could  not  go  on  without 
some  similar  concessions  on  their  parts. 

His  countrymen  wrote  a  reply  in  which  they  stated 
that  they  considered  that  this  was  another  of  the  many 
grievances  of  which  they  had  to  complain,  and  that  they 


FRENCH  DEMANDS.  168 

considered  it  was  an  infraction  of  Treaty  stipulations, 
for  which  they  had  some  right  to  indemnification  ;  and, 
in  consideration  of  giving  up  their  rights  they  demanded, 

"1st,  That  all  unfulfilled  and  long  outstanding  contracts 
with  the  natives  should  be  fulfilled  within  a  reasonable 
time,  say  two  months. — 2ndly,  That  the  ground-rent 
of  the  French  concession  should  be  reduced  one  third  for 
the  year  18(52.  Srdly,  That  the  Authorities,  shall, 
out  of  the  ground-rent,  according  to  previous  understand- 
ing, carry  out  the  proper  sanitary  and  other  matters  for 
the  settlement.  4thly,  That  two  lots  of  ground, — the  one 
on  the  newly  filled-in  swamp,  and  the  other  on  the  high 
ground  in  the  vicinity,  shall  be  appropriated  to  French 
subjects,  the  rental  not  to  exceed  36  itziboos  for  100 
tsubos ;  and,  finally,  that  if  any  similar  concessions  arc 
asked  by  the  Japanese,  they  will  only  be  acceded  to  on 
similar  further  conditions.  All  these  demands  are  only 
an  attempt  for  indemnification  to  regain  lost  ground — 
ground  every  inch  of  which  is  guarded  by  Treaty 
stipulations." 

The  British  portion  of  the  community  also  delivered  to 
their  minister  a  protest,  but  principally  in  order  that 
Colonel  NEALE  should  have  such  moral  support  as  it 
conferred,  in  resisting  these  frequent  demands. 

There  is  now  a  railway  between  Yokohama  and  Tokio, 
and  the  old  road,  the  far-famed  Tokaido,  is  deserted. 
But  what  a  scene  it  used  to  present !  How  crowded 
with  pedestrians ;  with  norimons  (the  palanquins  of  the 
upper  crust),  and  attendants;  with  cangoes  (the  modest 
bamboo  conveyance  of  the  humble  classes) ;  with  pack- 
horses,  conveying  merchandise  of  all  kinds  to  and  from 
the  capital  or  to  the  busy  towns  and  villages  along  the 
route  ;  with  the  trains  of  daimios  or  of  lesser  gentry 
entitled  to  travel  with  a  retinue ;  and  with  the  com- 
monalty, men,  women  and  children,  on  foot,  all  with 
their  dresses  turned  up  for  facility  of  movement,  and  for 
the  most  part  taking  the  journey  pretty  easily ;  fre- 
quently stopping  at  the  numberless  tea-houses  or  resting 


164  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

sheds  by  the  way,  and  refreshing  themselves  with  the 
simple  little  cup  of  weak  green  tea,  and  a  cheery  chat 
Avith  whomsoever  might  stop  like  themselves  to  rest. 
It  used  to  seem-  that  distance  was  no  consideration  with 
them.  They  could  go  on  all  day,  and  day  after  day,  if 
only  the}7  were  allowed  (which  the}r  generally  were)  to 
take  their  own  time  and  pace.  The  value  of  time  never 
entered  into  their  thoughts ;  and  even  in  business 
operations,  one  of  the  greatest  annoyances  of  European 
merchants  was  the  difficulty,  I  may  say  the  impossibility, 
of  keeping  them  up  to  time  in  fulfilling  their  engage- 
ments. 

The  numerous  trains  of  armed  men  passing  in  both 
directions  was  the  most  striking  feature  of  the  scene. 
Never  could  one  go  out  of  one's  house  in  any  direction, 
but  these  two-sworded  men  were  met  with ;  but  on  the 
Tokaido,  and  in  the  streets  of  Yedo,  they  appeared  to  be 
more  numerous  than  the  common  people  ;  and  it  must 
be  understood  that  at  this  time  of  which  I  am  speaking, 
the  crowds  on  portions  of  the  road  and  in  all  the 
principal  thoroughfares  of  the  capital,  were  as  great  as 
in  the  most  crowded  thoroughfares  of  London.  It  took 
one  forcibly  back  to  the  feudal  times  in  Europe,  when  no 
noble  or  landed  proprietor  thought  of  going  abroad 
unattended  by  his  armed  dependants.  Added  to  this, 
there  was  a  certain  air  of  antiquity  that  imparted  its 
charm  to  the  scene.  The  old  Dutch  writers  described 
the  road  long  ago,  and  it  was  even  in  their  day,  precisely 
as  it  was  in  ours.  A  good,  well  macadamised,  cause- 
way, (except  that  the  hard  stratum  was  of  pebbles,  not  of 
broken  stones),  passing  through  numerous  populous 
villages,  only  divided  from  each  other  by  short  intervals, 
where  fine  old  trees  on  both  sides  of  the  road  were  the 
sole  division  between  the  road  and  the  paddy  iields.  As 
the  decree  that  put  an  end  to  the  enforced  residence 


THE  TOKAIDO  IN  K(EMPFFER*S  DAYS.  165 

of  the  daimios  in  Yedo  put  an  end  to  all  this,  and 
subsequent  events  have  so  totally  swept  away  every 
semblance  of  it,  I  will  quote  Kcempffer,  that  it  may  be 
seen  how  unchangeable  had  been  the  state  of  the  country 
during  the  two  centuries  ;  and  that  I  may  put  on  record 
what  we,  who  resided  here  before  the  change,  witnessed, 
but  which,  or  the  like  of  which,  we  certainly  shall  never 
see  again.  The  observant  doctor  says  : — 

"  It  is  scarcely  credible  wiiat  numbers  of  people  daily 
travel  on  the  roads  in  this  country,  and  I  can  assure 
the  reader,  from  my  own  experience,  having  passed  it 
four  times,  the  Tokaido,  which  is  one  of  the  chief  and 
indeed  the  most  frequented  of  the  seven  great  roads  in 
Japan,  is  upon  some  days  more  crowded  than  the 
public  streets  in  any  of  the  most  populous  towns  in 
Europe.  This  is  owing  partly  to  the  country  being 
extremely  populous,  partly  to  the  journeys  which  the 
natives  frequently  undertake,  oftener  perhaps  than  any 
other  nation,  either  willingly,  and  out  of  their  own  free 
choice,  or  because  they  are  necessitated  to  it.  For  the 
reader's  satisfaction  I  will  here  insert  a  short  preliminary 
account  of  the  most  remarkable  persons,  companies  and 
trains  travellers  daily  meet  upon  the  road. 

"  The  princes  and  lords  of  the  empire,  with  their 
numerous  retinues,  as  also  the  governors  of  the  imperial 
cities  and  crown  lands  deserve  to  be  mentioned  in  the 
first  place.  It  is  their  duty  to  go  to  court  once  a  year, 
and  to  pay  their  homage  and  respect  to  the  secular 
monarch,  at  certain  times  determined  by  the  supreme 
power.  Hence  they  must  frequent  these  roads  twice 
every  year,  going  up  to  court  and  returning  from  thence. 
They  are  attended  in  their  journey  by  their  whole  court, 
and  commonly  make  it  with  that  pomp  and  magnificence 
which  is  thought  becoming  their  own  quality  and  riches, 
as  well  as  the  majesty  of  the  powerful  monarch  they  are 
going  to  see.  The  train  of  some  of  the  most  eminent  of 
the  princes  of  the  Empire  fills  up  the  road  for  some  days. 
Accordingly,  though  we  travelled  pretty  fast  ourselves, 
yet  we  often  met  the  baggage  and  fore-troops,  consisting 
of  the  servants  and  inferior  officers,  for  two  days  to- 
gether, dispersed  in  several  troops,  and  the  prince  him- 


166  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

self  followed  but  the  third  day  attended  with  his 
numerous  court,  all  marching  in  admirable  order.  The 
retinue  of  one  of  the  chief  dainiios,  as  they  are  called,  is 
computed  to  amount  to  about  20,000  men  more  or  less  ; 
that  of  a  sjoniio,  to  about  10,000 ;  that  of  a  governor  of 
the  imperial  cities  and  crown  lands,  to  one  or  several 
hundreds,  according  to  his  revenues. 

"  If  two  or  more  of  these  princes  and  lords,  with  their 
numerous  retinues,  should  chance  to  travel  the  same  road 
at  the  same  time,  they  would  prove  a  great  hindrance  to 
one  another  ;  particularly  if  they  should  happen  to  come 
at  once  to  the  same  shiku  or  village,  forasmuch  as  often 
whole  great  villages  are  scarce  large  enough  to  lodge  the 
retinue  of  a  single  daimio.  To  prevent  these  incon- 
veniences, it  is  usual  for  great  lords  and  princes  to  be- 
speak the  several  shikus  they  are  to  pass  through,  with 
all  the  inns,  some  time  before ;  as,  for  instance,  some  of 
the  lirst  quality  a  month,  others  a  week  or  two,  before 
their  arrival.  Moreover  the  time  of  their  future  arrival 
is  notified  in  ah1  the  cities,  villages  and  hamlets  they  are 
to  pass  through,  by  putting  up  small  boards  on  high 
poles  or  bamboos,  at  the  entry  and  end  of  every  village, 
signifying  in  a  few  characters  what  day  of  the  month 
such  a  lord  is  to  pass  through  that  village,  to  dine  or  to 
lie  there. 

"  To  satisfy  the  reader's  curiosity,  it  will  not  be  amiss 
to  describe  one  of  these  princely  trains,  cangoes  and 
palanquins,  which  are  sent  a  day  or  two  before.  But  the 
account  which  I  propose  to  give  must  not  be  understood 
as  the  retinue  of  the  most  powerful  princes  and  petty 
kings,  such  as  the  lords  of  SATSUMA,  KAGA,  OWAKI,  Kismu 
and  MITO,  but  only  those  of  some  other  daimios,  several 
of  whom  we  met  in  our  journey  to  court ;  the  rather  as 
they  differ  but  little,  excepting  only  the  coats  of  arms,  and 
particular  pikes,  some  arbitrary  order  in  the  march, 
and  the  number  of  led  horses,  fassanbacks,  norimono, 
cangoes,  and  attendants. 

"  1. — Numerous  troops  of  fore-runners,  harbingers, 
clerks,  cooks,  and  other  inferior  officers,  begin  the  march, 
they  being  to  provide  lodgings,  victuals  and  other  neces- 
sary things  for  the  entertainment  of  the  prince  their 
master  and  his  court,  They  are  followed  by 

"  2. — The  prince's  heavy  baggage,  packed  up  either  in 


DAIMIO'S  TRAVELLING  BETINUE.  167 

small  trunks,  and  carried  upon  horses  each  with  a 
banner,  bearing  the  coat  of  arms  and  the  name  of  the 
possessor ;  or  else  in  large  chests  with  red-laquered 
leather,  again  with  the  possessor's  coat  of  arms,  and 
carried  upon  men's  shoulders,  with  multitudes  of  in- 
spectors to  look  after  them. 

"  3. — Great  numbers  of  smaller  retinues,  belonging 
to  the  chief  officers  and  noblemen  attending  the  prince, 
with  pikes,  scimeters,  bows  and  arrows,  umbrellas, 
palanquins,  led  horses  and  other  marks  of  their  grandeur, 
suitable  to  their  birth,  quality  and  office.  Some  of  these 
are  carried  in  norimonos,  other  in  cangoes,  others  go  on 
horseback. 

"  4. — The  prince's  own  numerous  train,  marching  in 
an  admirable  and  curious  order,  and  divided  into  several 
troops,  each  headed  by  a  proper  commanding  officer  : — as, 

1.  Five,  more  or  less,  fine  led  horses,  led  each  by  two 
grooms,  one  on  each  side,  two  footmen  walking  behind. 

2.  Five  or  six,  and  sometimes  more,  porters,  richly  clad, 
walking  one  by  one,  and  carrying  fassanbacks,  or  lackered 
chests,  and  japanned  neat  trunks  and  baskets  upon  their 
shoulders,  wherein  are  kept  the  gowns,  clothes,  wearing- 
apparel,  and  other  necessaries  for  the  daily  use  of  the 
prince  ;  each  porter  is  attended  by  two  footmen,  who  took 
up  his  charge  by  turns.    3.  Ten  or  more  followers,  walking 
again  one  by  one,  and  carrying  rich  scimeters,  pikes  of 
state,  fire-arms,  and  other  weapons  in  lackered  wooden 
cases,  as  also  quivers  with  bows  and  arroAvs.     Sometimes 
for  magnificence-sake,  there  are  more  fassanback  bearers, 
and  other  led-horses  follow  this  troop.     4.  Two,  three,  or 
more  men,  who  carry  the  pikes  of  state,  as  the  badges  of 
the  prince's  power  and  authority,  adorned  at  the  upper 
end  with  bunches  of  cock's  feathers,  or  certain  rough  hides, 
or  other  particular  ornaments,  peculiar  to  such  or  such 
a  prince.     They  walk  one  by  one,  and  are  attended  each 
by  two  footmen.     5.  A  gentleman  carrying  the  prince's 
hat,  which  he  wears  to  shelter  himself  from  the  heat  of 
the  sun,  and  which  is  covered  with  black  velvet.     He  is 
attended  likewise   by  two  footmen.      6.    A   gentleman 
carrying  the   prince's  sombrero  or  umbrella,  which  is 
covered  in  like  manner  with  black  velvet,  attended  by  two 
footmen.      7.    Some,   more   fassanbacks   and   varnished 
trunks,  covered  with  varnished  leather,  with  the  prince's 


168  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

coat  of  arms  upon  them,  each  with  two  men  to  take  care 
of  it.  8.  Sixteen,  more  or  less,  of  the  prince's  pages, 
and  gentlemen  of  his  bed-chamber,  richly  clad,  walking 
two  and  two  before  his  norimon.  They  are  taken  out 
from  among  the  first  quality  of  his  court.  9.  The 
prince  himself  sitting  in  a  stately  norimon  or  palanquin, 
carried  by  six  or  eight  men,  clad  in  rich  liveries,  with 
several  others  walking  at  the  norimon' s  sides,  to  take  it 
up  by  turns.  Two  or  three  gentlemen  of  the  prince's 
bed-chamber  walk  at  the  norimon's  side,  to  give  him 
what  he  wants  and  asks  for,  and  to  assist  and  support 
him  in  going  in  or  out  of  the  norimon,  10.  Two  or  three 
horses  of  state,  the  saddles  covered  with  black.  One  of 
these  horses  carries  a  large  elbow-chair,  which  is  some- 
times covered  with  black  velvet,  and  placed  on  a  norikcifjo 
of  the  same  stuff.  These  horses  are  attended  each  by 
several  grooms  and  footmen  in  liveries,  and  some  are  led 
by  the  prince's  own  pages.  11.  Two  pike-bearers.  12. 
Ten  or  more  people  carrying  each  two  baskets  of  a  mon- 
strous large  size,  fixed  to  the  ends  of  a  pole,  which  they  lay 
on  their  shoulders  in  such  a  manner,  that  a  basket  hangs 
down  before,  another  behind  them.  These  baskets  are 
more  for  state  than  for  any  use.  Sometimes  some  fas- 
sanback  bearers  walk  among  them,  to  increase  the  troop. 
In  this  order  marches  the  prince's  own  train,  which  is 
followed  by 

"  5. — Six  or  twelve  led  horses,  with  their  leaders, 
grooms,  and  footmen,  all  in  liveries. 

"  6. — A  multitude  of  the  prince's  domestics,  and  other 
officers  of  his  court,  with  their  own  very  numerous  trains 
and  attendants,  pike-bearers,  fassanback-bearers,  and 
footmen  in  liveries.  Some  of  these  are  carried  in 
cangos,  and  the  whole  troop  is  headed  by^  the  prince's 
high-steward,  carried  in  a  norimon. 

"  If  one  of  the  prince's  sons  accompanies  his  father  in 
this  journey  to  court,  he  follows  with  his  own  train  im- 
mediately after  his  father's  norimon. 

"  It  is  a  sight  exceedingly  curious  and  worthy  of  admi- 
ration, to  see  all  the  persons  who  compose  the  numerous 
train  of  a  great  prince,  the  pikebearers  only,  the  nori- 
mon-men  and  liverymen  excepted,  clad  in  black  silk, 
marching  in  an  elegant  order  with  a  decent  becoming 
gravity,  and  keeping  so  profound  a  silence,  that  not  the 


ODD  AND  WHIMSICAL.  169 

least  noise  is  to  be  heard,  save  what  must  necessarily 
arise  from  the  motion  and  rustling  of  their  habits,  and 
the  trampling  of  the  horses  and  men.  On  the  other 
hand  it  appears  ridiculous  to  a  European,  to  see  all  the 
pike-bearers  and  norirnon-men,  with  their  habits  tucked 
up  above  the  waist,  exposing  their  naked  backs  to  the 
spectator's  view.  What  appears  still  more  odd  and 
whimsical,  is  to  see  the  pages,  pike-bearers,  umbrellas 
and  hat-bearers,  fassanback  or  chest-bearers,  and  all 
the  footmen  in  liveries,  affect  a  strange  mimic  march  or 
dance,  when  they  pass  through  some  remarkable  town  or 
borough,  or  by  the  train  of  another  prince  or  lord. 
Every  step  they  make  they  draw  up  one  foot  quite  to 
their  back,  in  the  meantime  stretching  out  the  arm  on 
the  opposite  side  as  far  as  they  can,  and  putting  them- 
selves in  such  a  posture,  as  if  they  had  a  mind  to  swim 
through  the  air.  Meanwhile  the  pikes,  hats,  umbrellas, 
fassanbacks,  boxes,  baskets,  and  whatever  else  they 
carry,  are  danced  and  tossed  about  in  a  very  singular 
manner,  answering  the  motion  of  their  bodies.  The 
norimon-men  have  their  sleeves  tied  with  a  string  as 
near  the  shoulders  as  possible,  and  leave  their  arms 
naked.  They  carry  the  pole  of  the  norimon  either  upon 
their  shoulders,  or  else  upon  the  palm  of  the  hand,  hold- 
ing it  up  above  their  heads.  Whilst  they  hold  it  up 
with  one  arm,  they  stretch  out  the  other,  putting  the 
hand  into  a  horizontal  posture,  whereby,  and  by  their 
short  deliberate  steps  and  stiff  knees,  they  affect  a  ridi- 
culous fear  and  circumspection.  If  the  prince  steps  out 
of  his  norimon  into  one  of  the  green  huts  which  are  pur- 
posely built  for  him,  at  convenient  distances  on  the  road, 
or  if  he  goes  into  a  private  house,  either  to  drink  a  dish 
of  tea,  or  for  any  other  purpose,  he  always  leaves  a 
cobang  with  the  landlord  as  a  reward  for  his  trouble.  At 
dinner  and  supper  the  expense  is  much  greater." 

Such  was  a  scene  on  the  Tokaido  two  hundred  years 
ago ;  and  although  we  never  met  with  such  extensive 
trains  as  some  of  those  mentioned,  those  we  did  see  had 
the  same  general  features  as  described  above. 

Come  we  to  Yedo — now  called  Tokio.     How  changed 
from  the  city  to  which  such  trains  were  wont  to  come  ! 
VOL.  i  u 


170  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

There  it  lies  stretching  away  along  the  semicircular  bay, 
and  retaining  all  the  outlines  of  earlier  days.  There  is 
the  castle  formerly  the  dwelling  place  of  the  Shoguns, 
now  deserted,  within  its  walled  park  and  surrounded 
by  its  moat,  which  again  is  enclosed  by  daimios'  yashikis 
and  a  second  moat,  the  whole  bounded  by  more  yashikis 
and  by  that  vast  portion  of  the  city  within  a  third  horse- 
shoe shaped  moat  or  canal,  which,  with  the  chord  formed 
by  the  sea  forms  an  island  whose  circumference  is  little, 
if  any,  less  than  nine  miles.  But  the  old  glory  is  gone. 
The  yashikis  of  the  daimios  are  either  tenantless  and 
fast  going  to  ruin,  or  they  have  been  appropriated  by  the 
government  for  government  offices,  barracks,  schools,  &c. 
The  streets  are  now  crowded  with  simple  citizens  hurry- 
ing hither  and  thither  in  jin-riki-shas ;  the  trains  of  the 
nobles  are  no  more  seen ;  and  once  more  the  population 
of  the  city  is  less  than  a  million. 

This  is,  probably,  a  long  digression ;  but  it  will  be 
pardoned  both  by  those  who  have  never  become  ac- 
quainted with  the  facts  described ;  and  certainly  by 
readers  who  may  have  been  eye-witnesses  of  them,  and 
whose  memories  will  vividly  recall  them.  The  etiquette 
of  the  road  was  well  and  rigidly  defined.  "When  the 
trains  of  two  princes  met,  it  was  incumbent  on  the 
lesser  of  them — (measured  by  his  income  as  recognised 
by  the  Government,  and  published  in  the  official  list),  to 
dismount  from  his  norimon,  if  he  happened  to  be  riding 
in  one,  and  draw  with  his  followers  to  the  side  of  the 
road  whilst  the  other  passed.  Whenever  it  was  possible, 
therefore,  such  meetings  were  avoided  ;  but  this  could  not 
always  be.  With  such  rigid  and  punctilious  rules  for 
themselves,  it  really  is  not  wonderful  that  the  inde- 
pendent bearing  of  foreigners  was  peculiarly  annoying 
to  them.  I  may  add  that  a  daimio  rarely  rode  on 
horseback  on  the  public  highways,  because,  as  in  the  case 


THE  TOKUGAWA  SHRINES.  171 

of  the  norimon,  the  inferior  must  dismount  on  meeting  a 
superior.  It  was  usual  to  have  his  horse  led  in  his 
train ;  but  it  was  only  as  a  part  of  his  state  equipage. 
For  himself,  he  almost  always  either  rode  in  his  norimon 
or  walked,  accompanied  by  his  chief  retainers.  Bearing 
this  fact  in  mind,  it  may  seem  that  we  were  unreasonable 
in  taking  offence  at  the  care  the  Shogun's  Government 
observed  over  us ;  but  we  did  not  understand  matters 
then  so  fully  as  we  do  now ;  and  besides,  we  may  have  been 
more  suspicious,  because  it  was  absolutely  certain 
that  it  would  have  relieved  the  minds  of  the  Shogun  and 
his  officers  of  state  of  a  heavy  burden  of  anxiety  could 
they  have  made  of  Yokohama  a  second  Desima,  and 
confined  us  within  the  limits  of  the  settlement.  With  the 
notification  given  above  foreigners  complied ;  but,  as  it 
will  be  seen,  they  did  so  with  no  very  good  grace,  and 
only  under  strong  protest. 

And  now,  ere  closing  this  chapter,  one  word  concern- 
ing the  great  man  whose  arrival  in  our  neighbourhood 
caused  all  this  commotion.  He  played  a  remarkable 
part  in  the  time  of  the  revolution  in  1878  ;  and  although 
I  shall  only  casually  have  to  allude  to  him  in  speaking 
of  that  period,  it  is  well  that  my  readers  should  know 
who  he  was. 

The  shrines  of  the  Shoguns  of  the  TOKUGAWA  dynasty  y 
were  situated,  two  at  Nikko,  six  at  Shiba  in  the 
very  heart  of  the  city  of  Yedo,  and  six  at  Uyeno, 
a  populous  suburb  of  the  city.  They  consisted  of 
the  stone  or  bronze  urns, — built  over  the  vaults 
which  contain  their  remains,  and  enclosing  a  tablet 
with  their  posthumous  names  or  titles — and  a  series  of 
magnificent  temples,  which  are  even  now,  (so  many  of 
them  as  remain)  objects  of  attraction  to  visitors  from  all 
parts  of  the  world.  Each  Shogun  had  his  own 
shrine  and  memorial  temple  connected  with  it ;  and  at 


172  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

Uyeno,  in  addition  to  the  shrines,  there  was  Toyei-san, 
reputed  to  be  the  largest  and  wealthiest  temple  in  Yedo. 
It  was  the  head-quarters  of  the  UYENO-NO-MIYA,  the 
high  priest  or  bishop — who  was  appointed  by  the  Mikado 
himself  to  the  office  and  was  invariably  a  member  of  the 
Imperial  family.  In  rank  he  was  far  above  the  Tycoon, 
and  in  the  very  zenith  of  their  power  the  Shoguns 
prostrated  themselves  before  him,  and  occupied  a  lower 
place  in  his  presence.  He  was  the  high  priest  of  Nikko, 
and  of  Kinnoji  in  Kioto  ;  and  no  one  in  the  empire  was 
more  venerated  than  he. 

This  was  the  great  man,  the  son  of  a  former  Mikado', 
now  passing  along  the  Tokaido  on  his  way  to  Yedo ;  and 
we  have  seen  the  excitement  the  circumstance  caused 
among  the  foreign  community. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

RUMOUR,  AT  THE  COMMENCEMENT  OF  1863,  THAT  THE 
EONINS  INTENDED  TO  SLAY  ALL  THE  FOREIGN  REPRESENTA- 
TIVES.— PREVENTIVE  MEASURES. — RUMOUR  PROVES  TO  BE 
FALSE. — ANOTHER  REQUEST  OF  THE  GOVERNOR  OF  KANAGAWA 
THAT  FOREIGNERS  SHOULD  AVOID  THE  TOKAIDO. — BURNING  OF 
THE  BRITISH  LEGATION  BUILDING  AT  GO-TEN-YAMA,  YEDO,  AND 
A  LENGTHENED  DETAIL  OF  THE  CIRCUMSTANCES  THAT  LED  TO 
IT. — THOSE  WHO  NOW  JUDGE  THEIR  COUNTRYMEN  WHO  PASSED 
THROUGH  THOSE  TIMES  SHOULD  PUT  THEMSELVES  IN  THEIR 
PLACE. — KNOWLEDGE  NOW  ATTAINED  NOT  THEN  EXISTING. — 
WHAT  FOREIGNERS  DID  KNOW. — FACTS  AS  THEY  APPEARED 
BEFORE  THEM  HAD  ALONE  TO  BE  CONSIDERED. — AS  A  RULE 
FOREIGNERS  WERE  QUIET  AND  WELL-CONDUCTED  J  AND  MOST 
FAVOURABLY  DISPOSED  TOWARDS  THE  COUNTRY  AND  PEOPLE  OF 
JAPAN. — THE  TRUE  NATURE  OF  THE  GOVERNMENT  BEGINS  TO 
REVEAL  ITSELF. — THE  TYCOON  NO  EMPEROR,  BUT  YET  A  REAL 
POTENTATE. — COMBINATION  OF  CIRCUMSTANCES  THAT  LED  TO 
HIS  DOWNFALL. 

THE  year  1863,  which  was  to  be  a  momentous  one  in 
the  history  of  foreign  intercourse,  began  inauspiciously. 
A  rumour  reached  the  Government  which  they  must  have 
placed  faith  in,  and  which  must  have  alarmed  them 


174  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

mightily  ;  for,  on  the  night  of  the  2nd  of  January,  one  of 
the  Ministers  for  foreign  affairs  suddenly  appeared  at  the 
British  Minister's  residence  in  Yokohama,  having  arrived 
in  Jill  haste,  with  his  retinue,  from  Yedo,  to  impart  it 
without  delay  to  the  foreign  representatives.  It  was  to 
the  effect  that  a  special  hand  of  ronins  had  been  dis- 
covered in  the  neighbourhood  of  Yokohama,  who  had 
bound  themselves  with  an  oath  that  they  would  not  rest 
satisfied  until  they  had  slain  all  the  foreign  diplomatic 
chiefs.  True  or  false  it  sufficed  to  put  everyone  on  the 
qui  rire,  and  the  Volunteer  corps,  of  whose  formation  I 
have  already  told,  turned  out  and  took  their  share  in  the 
duty  of  patrolling  the  streets.  At  that  tune  there  seemed 
to  be  every  probability  that  they  would  be  called  upon 
before  many  weeks,  perhaps  days,  were  over,  to  prove 
themselves  worthy  brothers  of  the  Shanghai  Volunteers, 
who  had  faced  the  Taeping  rebels  in  1861.  In  about  a 
week  this  particular  scare  came  to  an  end  ;  word  being 
brought  by  a  colleague  of  the  former  messenger,  that  the 
rumour  turned  out  to  be  false. 

But  if  the  outlaws  were  not  actually  in  the  vicinity  of 
Yokohama,  it  was  soon  rendered  but  too  palpable  that 
there  were  plenty  of  men  not  enrolled  in  those  lawless 
gangs,  who  were  no  less  inimical  to  us. 

It  is  amusing  to  have  to  report,  (though  we  will  not 
dwell  upon  it)  that  on  the  28th  January,  this  year,  the 
British  Consul  was  again  called  upon  to  warn  his  country- 
men against  using  the  Tokaido  "  during  one  week,  or  until 
you  receive  another  communication  from  me"  (the 
Governor  of  Kanagawa).  The  dairnios  who  were  then 
passing  were  AIDZU,  the  hero  of  the  revolution  on  the 
Tycoon's  side  ;  and  one  of  the  Choshiu  princes,  the  arch- 
enemies of  foreigners. 

On  the  1st  February  an  occurrence  took  place,  in 
which  happily  there  was  no  loss  of  life,  which  compels  me 


QO-TEN-YAMA.  175 

to  pause,  and  go  back  a  little  in  point  of  time  that  it  may 
be  well  understood  in  all  its  bearings.  Residences  were 
to  be  built  in  a  certain  locality  outside  of  the  Yedo  city 
boundary  for  the  five  foreign  legations.  Those  for  the 
English  and  French  were  the  most  forward ;  indeed  the 
former  was  very  nearly  completed — when  it  was  wantonly, 
determinedly,  and  of  malice  aforethought,  fired  in  several 
places  simultaneously,  and  the  work  of  destruction  was 
aided  by  gunpowder,  several  discharges  of  which  occurred 
in  the  course  of  the  conflagration. 

The  circumstances  were  these.  After  the  attack  on 
the  British  legation  a  demand  was  made  by  the  foreign 
ministers  for  a  site  on  which  residences  might  be  built 
which  should  be  accessible  by  land  and  sea,  and  at  the 
same  time  capable  of  being  protected  from  any  renewal 
of  the  atrocious  attempt  at  assassination.  Three  sites 
were  offered  by  the  Government — one  at  the  mouth  of 
the  Middle  river,  (there  being  three  rivers  that  empty 
themselves  into  the  sea  at  Yedo) ;  one,  the  shore  on  the 
sea  side  of  the  main  street  in  Yedo ;  and  one  which  it 
seems  incredible  that  the  Shogun  would  consent  to  give 
up,  or  that  the  ministers  would  refuse — a  portion  of 
0-Hama-Go-Ten,  then  known  as  the  Tycoon's  fishing 
ground,  and  now  as  En-rio-kuan,  where  all  royal  and 
distinguished  foreign  guests  of  the  Emperor  are  lodged. 
But  there  was  one  spot  on  which  the  eye  of  desire  had 
rested ;  and  nothing  would  satisfy  the  representatives  of 
the  Treaty  Powers  but  that.  It  was,  as  it  were,  the  little 
pot  lamb  of  the  citizens  ;  and  though  they  might  have 
had  their  choice  of  more  spacious  and  equally  defensible 
sites,  they  refused  them  all,  and  the  Government  in  a 
moment  of  weakness  yielded.  Go-Ten-yama  was  the  one 
spot  ministerial  cupidity  had  fixed  upon.  Go-Ton-yamn 
was  the  one  spot  the  Government  most  wished  to  keep  for 
the  citizens.  Go-Ten-yama  was  yielded ;  and  the  indigna- 


176  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

tion  of  the  samurai  was  aroused.    Go-Ten-yama,  they 
resolved,  the  foreigners  should  not  occupy. 

Strangely  enough,  even  foreign  civilians  saw  the 
danger  to  be  apprehended  from  the  selection  of  this  site. 
On  the  12th  and  19th  July  1862,  articles  appeared  in 
the  Japan  Herald,  which  clearly  foreshadowed  what  might 
happen ;  and  gave  this  interesting  little  bit  of  history  con- 
cerning the  locality.  When  IYEYAS'  took  up  his  residence 
in  Yedo  and  insisted  on  the  daimios  coining  there  to  do 
homage  to  him,  in  order  to  reconcile  the  higher  daimios 
to  his  decrees, — to  gild  the  bitter  pill  of  enforced  residence 
in  his  new  capital,  he  agreed  to  meet  them  on  their  ap- 
proach to  the  city,  and  bid  them  welcome.  For  this 
purpose  he  built  a  reception  house  on  a  rising  ground 
outside  the  city,  and  gave  to  the  site  the  name  of  Go-Ten- 
yama — literally  'the  imperial  hill  of  Heaven;'  though 
some  translate  it  '  the  hill  of  the  palace.' 

"This  custom 

was  continued  by  his  successor;  but  IYEMITSZ'  the  next  in 
succession  was  a  man  of  a  different  stamp.  Having  a 
position  by  birth  so  much  above  the  daimios,  whose  ex- 
chequers had  been  exhausted,  and  their  powers  for  mis- 
chief curtailed,  he  did  not  see  why  he  should  demean 
himself  by  going  out  to  meet  his  inferiors.  A  very  able 
and  at  the  same  time  a  very  proud  man,  he  removed  the 
house  entirely ;  and  from  that  time  the  custom  ceased. 
When  the  house  was  removed  a  large  flat  space  of  ground 
was  left  vacant  at  an  elevation  of  perhaps  a  hundred  feet 
above  the  level  of  the  sea,  in  a  very  commanding  situa- 
tion. In  a  military  point  of  view  it  completely  com- 
mands the  Shinagawa  forts  below.  A  few  riflemen  in 
the  Go-Ten-yama,  could  effectually  clear  these  forts,  and 
command  the  Tokaido  or  sea-road  to  Yedo.  No  one 
could  pass  Shinagawa  so  long  as  Go-Ten-yama  was  in  the 
hands  of  a  small  force.  But  this  IYEMITSZ'  did  not 
think  of.  Instead  of  retaining  the  hill  as  a  military 
position  he  gave  it  to  the  inhabitants  of  Yedo  as  a  place 
of  recreation,  as  a  park — a  pleasure-ground  to  which 
they  might  resort  in  those  out-of-door  parties  of  pleasure 


THE  PEOPLE'S  PLEASURE  GROUND.  177 

which  they  are  so  fond  of  and  manage  so  well.  He 
planted  that  part  of  the  grounds  which  overlooks  the  sea 
with  cherry  trees  ;  while  the  best  part  of  the  ground  was 
interspersed  with  fine  old  fir-trees  which  had  probably 
been  planted  long  before.  This  park  was  the  great 
resort  of  parties  of  pleasure  from  Yedo.  Perhaps  in  no 
part  of  the  world  is  the  custom  of  pic-nic  parties  carried 
to  the  same  extent  as  in  Japan.  Upon  their  gala  days — 
and  that  seems  to  be  six  days  out  of  the  week,  the  beau- 
tiful lanes  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Yedo  are  made  more 
interesting  by  the  groups  of  people — young  and  old,  men 
and  women,  boys,  girls  and  children,  sallying  out  in  the 
opening  spring  or  in  the  heat  of  summer,  to  spend  a  few 
hours  in  the  innocent  enjoyment  of  the  most  beautiful 
scenery.  There  maybe  seen  young  ladies  dressed  in  the 
most  brilliant  colours,  which,  peacock-like,  they  carry 
behind  them,  young  gentlemen  accompanying  them  in 
the  more  sober  greys,  and  carrying  their  two  swords  like 
gentlemen,  the  pictures  of  happiness  and  thorough  enjoy- 
ment, wending  their  way  to  the  cherry-trees  of  Go-Ten- 
yama.  There  the  mats  are  spread — the  quaint  picnic 
boxes  produced — and  before  long  the  joyous  shouts  and 
the  merry  laugh  make  those  outside  long  to  be  of  the  party. 

"  Nowhere  in  the  vicinity  of  Yedo  can  the  same  enjoy- 
ment be  obtained  as  in  the  Go-Ten-yama.  There  are 
other  places  of  resort,  but  to  them  the  sea  view  is  want- 
ing— the  elevated  position — the  white  sails  in  any  direc- 
tion moving  over  the  deep  blue  sea — the  cool  breeze — 
the  extensive  view — the  pleasant  shade — the  brilliant 
colours  of  the  landscape — when  these  are  filled  up  with 
gay  dresses,  bright  eyes  and  merry  laughter — alas  !  alas  ! 
now,  nous  avons  change  tout  cela." 

The  next  week,  the  same  writer  at  the  close  of  a  long 
article  on  the  same  subject,  says  : — 

"  We  do  not  think  the  advantages  of  the  Go-Ten-yama 
outweighed  the  disadvantages.  The  principal  of  these 
is  the  ill-will  of  the  people  of  Yedo  in  the  forcible  appro- 
priation of  their  park  or  place  of  recreation  to  satisfy  the 
demands  of  the  foreigners." 

It  is  now  admitted  that  it  was  determined  from  the 
first,  by  some  of  the  most  resolute  haters  of  foreigners 
that  they  should  not  occupy  the  residences  that  were  to 

VOL.  i  v 


178  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

be  built  for  them  on  Go-Ten-yama.  This  was  plainly 
declared ;  and  the  fact  that  it  was  so  was  published  in 
the  newspaper.  It  was  unequivocally  stated  that  "the 
buildings  would  be  destroyed  as  soon  as  finished."  And 
so  it  happened  with  regard  to  the  English  legation. 
This  and  the  French  legation  were  the  only  two  in 
progress  -of  construction,  the  Dutch  and  American 
legations  not  having  been  commenced.  The  English 
was  nearest  to  completion,  but  no  sooner  had  the  last 
paper-hanger  and  plasterer  put  the  final  touches  to  it, 
than,  that  very  day,  it  was  burnt  to  the  ground.  "  They 
have  cut  down  our  beloved  cherry  trees "  said  the 
samurai,  "  to  make  place  for  the  houses  of  the  foreigner, 
but  it  will  be  a  very  red  blossom  before  it  is  full  grown." 

And  so  it  was.  On  the  16th  January,  some  two- 
sworded  men  presented  themselves  at  the  gate  of  the 
nearly  finished  legation,  but  on  learning  that  there  were 
no  foreigners  there,  they  peacefully  retired,  and  went  to 
a  tea-house  in  the  neighbourhood,  where  they  put  many 
questions  to  the  landlord  as  to  whether  there  were 
really  any  foreigners  there  or  not.  On  receiving  the 
information  that  there  were  none,  one  of  them,  laying  his 
hand  on  the  hilt  of  his  sword,  said  fiercely,  that  if  he 
attempted  to  deceive  them  they  would  slay  him ;  and  some 
of  them  returned  to  the  gate  to  make  further  enquiries. 
On  receiving  the  same  answer  as  before,  one  of  them 
asked  that  they  might  be  allowed  to  view  the  foreigners' 
residence  ;  and  on  being  told  that  this  was  not  per- 
missible, they  drew  their  swords,  cut  down  the  guard,  as 
usual  hacking  him  to  pieces,  and  passing  through,  made 
their  inspection  and  retired.  After  this  the  building 
was  left  almost  unguarded,  for  it  was  difficult  to  get  men 
to  undertake  the  duty. 

Towards  the  end  of  the  month,  Colonel  NEALE  received 
a  very  strong  appeal  from  the  Japanese  Government, 


APPEAL  TO  COLONEL  NEALE.  179 

asking  him  not  to  occupy  the  newly-built  edifice,  and 
offering  him  almost  any  other  site  he  chose  to  select. 
They  had  expended  forty  thousand  dollars  upon  the 
building,  but  that  they  did  not  heed.  The  Mikado  had 
ordered  that  the  foreigners  should  not  occupy  Go-Ten- 
yama,  and  the  excitement  among  the  people  was  greater 
than  they  were  able  to  allay.  But:  Colonel  NEALE  was 
firm.  He  said  that  all  the  arrangements  respecting  the 
English  legation  building  had  been  made  with  the 
English  Minister  before  he  left  for  England.  He  was 
expected  to  return  to  Japan,  and  it  was  not  for  the 
Charge  d' Affaires  to  upset  his  dispositions.  He  also 
expressed  his  surprise  that  nothing  had  been  said  to  him 
on  the  subject  until  the  very  eve  of  the  completion  of  the 
building  ;  and  that  he  had  never  previously  received  any 
hint  of  there  being  any  objection  to  the  site. 

I  do  not  think  that  the  Government  could  fairly  be 
charged  with  having  had  any  hand  in  the  catastrophe 
that  followed.  Their  information  respecting  the  intention 
of  certain  clansmen  (not  ronins)  to  destroy  it,  added  to 
the  positive  commands  of  the  Mikado  that  the  arrange- 
ment with  the  foreigners  should  not  be  carried  through, 
must  have  put  them  in  a  position  of  great  perplexity. 
At  the  same  time,  Colonel  NEALE  was  undoubtedly  right 
in  the  position  he  maintained.  Concession  after  con- 
cession had  been  made  to  the  Japanese  authorities  ;  and 
the  yielding  to  one  demand  or  appeal  invariably  led  to 
more  being  asked  for.  Had  less  firmness  been  displayed 
by  the  English  and  French  representatives — for,  happily, 
M.  DE  BELLECOURT  was  a  most  staunch  and  generous 
supporter  of  his  English  colleague, — foreign  intercourse 
would  speedily  have  been  a  mere  name — a  memory  of  the 
past,  it  was  the  decisive  position  taken  by  these  two  Mi- 
nisters, nioix;  than  any  others,  that  maintained  the  spirit 
of  the  treaties,  and  prevented  their  becoming  a  dead  letter. 


180  YOUNG   JAPAN. 

But  passing  this  by  as  a  mere  abstract  question,  we 
return  to  the  fact  before  us.  On  the  1st  February,  18(53, 
only  about  three  or  four  days  after  the  appeal  to  Colonel 
NEALE,  the  buildings  were  burnt  down.  Eye-witnesses 
reported  that  they  observed  the  flames  burst  out  in 
several  places  simultaneously,  and  that  during  the  con- 
flagration several  explosions  of  gunpowder  took  place,  thus 
making  sure  work  of  the  total  destruction  of  the  building. 
It  was  not  attempted  to  conceal  that  it  must  have  been, 
and  assuredly  was,  the  work  of  incendiaries ;  and  that, 
too,  of  men  who  had  sympathisers  watching  their  pro- 
ceedings at  a  distance ;  for  no  sooner  was  it  evident  that 
the  flames  and  combustibles  had  done  their  work  effec- 
tually, than  a  salute  was  fired  from  a  man-of-war  at  I 
the  Shinagawa  anchorage. 

There  are  many  who  now-a-days  read  of  these  occur- 
rences at  a  distance,  and  some  few  of  those  who  have  more 
recently  come  amongst  us,  who  are  inclined  to  censure 
the  proceedings  of  the  foreign  representatives  who  had  to 
bear  the  brunt  of  those  terrible  times.  For  terrible  they 
really  were.  I  would  ask  those  who  would  judge  fairly, 
to  put  themselves  in  the  position  of  their  countrymen 
who  had  to  endure  them.  It  must  never  be  forgotten 
that  they  did  not  knowr  all  the  facts  that  we  are  now  so 
well  acquainted  with.  What  they  did  know  was, — the 
history  of  former  intercourse  between  Japan  and  for- 
eigners, and  the  manner  of  the  expulsion  of  the  latter  ;  the 
long  exclusion  of  all  foreigners  from  the  country,  except 
the  Dutch  and  Chinese  traders  at  Nagasaki,  the  former 
of  whom  were  literally  and  most  ignominiously  imprisoned 
in  the  little  isle  of  Desima.  Further,  the  reluctance  with 
which  they  had  entered  into  the  new  treaty  relations,  and 
the  intense  desire,  not  of  all,  but  of  a  strong  section  of  the 
nobles  and  territorial  princes  to  drive  out  the  strangers, 
to  close  the  ports,  and  to  put  an  end  to  the  treaties. 


FOREIGNERS  GENERALLY    "  WELL- CONDUCTED."  181 

Without  going  into  the  vast  and  very  important  ques- 
tion as  to  the  right  of  any  country  to  keep  itself  closed 
against  intercourse  with  the  outer  world,  facts  as  they 
existed  had  alone  to  be  considered.  Treaties  had  been 
signed.  Ports  had  been  opened.  And  on  the  faith  of 
those  treaties  the  ports  had  been  resorted  to  by  bona  fide 
traders,  who  came,  many  of  them  as  representatives 
of  some  of  the  most  prominent  and  wealthy  merchants  of 
the  East,  to  extend  their  operations  by  legitimate  trading 
in  Japan.  If  the  anomalous  state  of  the  currency  of 
Japan  in  reference  to  that  of  other  countries  afforded 
opportunities  for  profit  which  proved  a  temptation  too 
great  to  be  resisted  by  the  new  comers,  it  was  but  one 
episode,  and  that,  too,  a  short-lived  one  in  the  new 
intercourse ;  but  no  blame  ought  to  attach  itself  to  the 
operators.  As  well  might  it  be  said  that  those  were 
dishonest  who  bought  the  golden  guineas,  once  said  for  a 
bet  to  have  been  offered  on  London  Bridge  for  a  penny 
a  piece.  I  have  already  alluded  to  the  fact  that  some 
went  into  this  commerce  which  was  justifiable,  in  a  most 
unjustifiable,  a  most  reprehensible,  manner,  and  for  these 
I  have  not  a  word  to  say.  But  this  is  the  only  sore  that 
the  Japanese  complained  of  at  the  outset.  As  a  rule  the 
new  comers  were  quiet,  well-conducted  citizens  in  every 
respect.  They  kept  themselves,  with  very  few  exceptions, 
well  within  the  conditions  of  the  treaties ;  and  they  were  so 
pleased  with  the  country  and  the  people  with  whom  in 
their  business  and  in  their  excursions  they  were  brought 
into  contact,  that  they  thought,  apart  from  a  certain 
class,  that  Japan  was  the  most  delightful  country,  and 
the  Japanese  the  most  loveable  people,  in  the  world. 
I  will  go  further — and  I  am  not  writing  what  may 
have  been  gathered  from  books  or  other  writers,  but 
from  personal  experience  of  the  "  certain  class  "  men- 
tioned above, — there  was  a  large  proportion  even  of  them, 


182  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

favourable,  or,  at  least,  not  unfavourable,  to  foreigners ; 
and  they  were  the  most  delightful  of  all. 

Some  time  before  the  period  at  which  I  have  now* 
arrived  the  true  nature  of  the  Government  began  to 
reveal  itself.  It  was  not  yet,  however,  clearly  discerned, 
and  only  the  course  of  events  I  am  describing  made  them 
fully  understood.  Those  who  "  know  all  about  it  "  now, 
are  inclined  to  sneer  at  the  ignorance  of  the  early-comers, 
who  were  not  as  wise  as  their  successors  became,  be- 
cause they  talked  of  the  Tycoon  as  a  sovereign,  and  gave 
to  Japan  two  Emperors — one  spiritual  and  the  other 
temporal.  This  error  was  about  to  be  dissipated.  The 
Tycoon  was  no  Emperor  either  temporal  or  spiritual ;  but 
those  who  would  give  him  the  simple  title  of  Sei-i-tai- 
Shogim,  generalissimo  for  the  expulsion  of  barbarians, 
and  deny  that  he  was  a  ruler  exercising  sovereign  powers, 
are  surely  mistaken.  From  whomsoever  he  derived  his 
powers,  he  was  the  ruler  of  the  Empire  from  one  end 
of  it  to  the  other.  The  Mikado  was  the  source  of  honour, 
the  imparter  of  authority ;  but  the  Tycoon  or  Shogun 
literally  reigned  by  hereditary  right,  although  he  had 
also  to  be  elected  by  certain  daimios  ;  conferred  lands  and 
titles  on  whomsoever  he  would  ;  governed  from  his  own 
capital,  in  his  own  name,  by  his  own  ministers;  was  up- 
held by  his  own  vassals  and  armed  forces,  over  whom  he 
exercised  despotic  powers,  totally  apart  from,  and  uncon- 
nected with,  the  Mikado.  He  levied  taxes  and  supplied 
the  means  for  all  the  national  expenditure  and  for  the 
sustenance  of  the  court  of  Kioto.  He  appointed  his  own 
vassals  as  its  protectors.  For  over  two  hundred  years 
no  daimio,  however  powerful,  dared  to  call  these  facts  in 
question.  It  was  truly  an  extraordinary  state  of  things 
that  for  nearly  seven  hundred  years — from  the  time  of 
YOKITOMO — the  Mikado  should  exist  as  the  fountain  of  all 
power  and  honour  in  the  country  and  yet  not  exercise 


THE  00-SANKE.  183 

one  atom  of  real  power  himself.  For  two  hundred 
and  thirty  years  no  Tycoon  visited  Kioto ;  not  even  for 
investiture.  And  although  it  was  deemed  necessary  that 
the  Mikado  should  acknowledge  him  and  sanction  his 
assumption  of  power  and  title,  he  was  as  much  ruler  of 
the  Empire  in  the  interval  between  his  predecessor's 
death  and  this  imperial  sanction,  or  at  all  events  from 
the  day  of  his  election,  as  is  a  European  sovereign 
between  the  day  of  his  accession  and  that  of  his 
coronation. 

Two  circumstances  had,  however,  lately  combined, 
which  in  the  end  were  to  bring  this  anomalous  state  of 
things  to  a  close.  One  was  the  growing  effeminacy  and 
impotence  of  the  later  Shoguns,  occasioned  by  their 
luxurious  living,  their  self-indulgence,  and  their  diminish- 
ing personal  attention  to  the  affairs  of  state.  The  other 
was,  the  personal  jealousy  of  one  of  the  greatest  nobles, 
— as  it  happened,  a  kinsman  of  the  Tycoon,  and  member 
of  the  Go-Sanke. 

The  story  need  not  be  very  long ;  and  it  will  render 
subsequent  events  more  clear. 

The  founder  of  the  last  dynasty  of  Shoguns,  TOKUGAWA 
IYEYAS',  was  invested  with  the  rank  and  title,  which  he 
had  won  fairly  by  force  of  arms,  in  the  year  1608.  He 
had  nine  sons — three  of  whom,  in  particular  became 
notable  in  the  empire,  not  for  any  deeds  of  their  own, 
but  because  IYEYAS'  ordered  that  from  their  descendants 
the  Shoguns  should  be  elected  in  failure  of  heirs  male  of 
the  body  of  any  regnant  Shogun.  These  were  the 
7th,  8th  and  9th  of  his  sons,  whom  he  made  princes  of 
OWAEI,  KISHIU  and  MITO.  They  were  always  spoken  of  as 
the  Go-Sanke,  or  the  three  imperial  families.  The  prince 
of  ECHIZEN  was  also  descended  from  IYEYAS'.  Now  it 
happened  that  no  prince  of  the  house  of  MITO  had  ever 
enjoyed  the  high  office  of  Shogun.  But  the  daimio  of 


184  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

MITO  made  himself  very  prominent  in  the  early  days  of 
foreign  intercourse.  As  long  ago  as  1841,  we  are  told 
by  the  Kinse  Shiriaktt ,  he  had  been  placed  in  confine- 
ment at  one  of  his  secondary  yashikis  in  Yedo  for  having 
melted  down  the  bells  of  all  the  Buddhist  monasteries  in 
his  domain  to  cast  cannon  with,  and  for  other  similar 
acts.  He  was  one  of  the  few  daimios  who  really 
governed  his  clan  and  concerned  himself  in  state  affairs. 
He  was  in  1853,  when  Commodore  PERRY  came  to  Japan, 
pardoned  by  order  of  the  Shogun,  and  appointed  Kaibo 
Jimu-shoku,  or  commissioner  for  the  superintendence  of 
maritime  defences.  Years  before,  he  had  written  a 
pamphlet,  propounding  the  great,  but  almost  forgotten 
fact,  that  the  Mikado  was  the  true  sovereign  of  the 
empire ;  and  he  now  had  always  two  objects  at  heart, 
namely,  to  secure  an  increase  of  respect  for  the  Mikado, 
and  to  effect  the  expulsion  of  the  barbarians. 

At  the  beginning  of  1857,  in  consequence  of  the  dis- 
satisfaction he  felt  with  regard  to  the  PERRY  treaty,  he 
declined  having  any  further  share  in  public  affairs. 
When,  however,  on  the  death  of  the  Tycoon  IYESADA  in 
September  1858,  it  became  necessary  to  elect  a  successor, 
the  ex-Prince  of  MITO  was  very  desirous  to  secure  the 
election  of  his  favourite  son  HITOTSUEASHI  Giobukio  (who 
had  been  adopted  into  the  family  of  HITOTSUBASHI.) 
The  regent  Ii  KAMON-NO-KAMI,  however,  succeeded  in 
securing  the  election  of  IYESHIOE,  a  youth,  12  years  of 
age,  a  scion  of  the  house  of  KISHIU,  and  he  was  nominated 
by  IYESADA  as  his  successor.  This  enraged  the  three 
princes  of  OWARI,  ECHIZEN  and  MITO,  extremely.  They, 
with  the  princes  of  TOSA  and  UWAJIMA  (men  amongst 
the  most  active  in  establishing  the  new  regime  in 
1868),  were  subsequently  all  obliged  to  resign  their 
dairniates  to  their  sons  and  retire  into  private  life. 
MITO  was  ordered  into  perpetual  confinement  in  his 


COMBINATION  OP  DAIMIOS.  185 

own    province ;   and  HITOTSTJBASHI,   for   having  sought 
the  office,  was  also  forced  into  retirement. 

Nothing  hastened  the  fall  of  the  Shogunate  so  much  as 
this.  Other  great  daimios  who  were  jealous  of  the  arbitrary 
power  wielded  by  the  Shogun,  speedily  made  their  voices 
heard ;  and  ultimately  such  a  combination  as  had  never 
before  been  known  in  Japan,  was  established,  before 
which  the  Tycoon,  his  government,  and  the  whole  feudal 
system,  was  driven  like  chaff  before  the  wind.  What 
the  effect  would  have  been  had  HITOTSUBASHI  been 
elected  in  1858,  it  is  impossible  to  conjecture.  Certainly 
the  course  of  events  would  have  been  very  different,  and — 
that  is  all  that  can  be  said. 


VOL.   I  W 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

THE  PROTECTION  OF  THE  MIKADO. — COMPETITIVE  EXAMINA- 
TIONS.— ANXIETY  OF  THE  GOVERNMENT. — DAIMIOS  ENCOURAGED 
TO  PURCHASE  STEAMERS. — PROVISION  FOR  PROTECTING  THE 
FOREIGN  SETTLEMENT. — ADMIRAL  KUPER  ARRIVES  WITH  A 
SQUADRON. — SHIMADZU  SABURO's  REPORT  OF  THE  RICHARDSON 
EPISODE  MEETS  THE  APPROVAL  OF  THE  MIKADO. — CLAMOUR 
OF  RONINS  AT  KIOTO  FOR  EXPULSION  OF  FOREIGNERS. — 
SATSUMA  PLACED  IN  CHARGE  OF  GO-TEN-YAMA. — COLONEL 
NEALE  RECEIVES  REPLIES  FROM  HIS  GOVERNMENT. — TYCOON'S 
HURRIED  DEPARTURE  FOR  KIOTO. — THE  DEMANDS  OF  THE 
ENGLISH  GOVERNMENT. — TYCOON  ARRIVES  AT  KIOTO. — EXCITE- 
MENT IN  KIOTO  AND  YOKOHAMA. — NATIVES  LEAVE  YOKOHAMA. — 
THE  AMERICAN  LEGATION  IN  YEDO  BURNT. — RUSE  BY  WHICH 
THE  U.  S.  MINISTER  WAS  INDUCED  TO  LEAVE  YEDO,  AND  THE 
U.  S.  CONSUL  TO  QUIT  KANAGAWA. — APPOINTMENT  OF  A  DAY 
FOR  THE  EXPULSION  OF  FOREIGNERS  AND  CLOSING  OF  YOKO- 
HAMA.— INTIMATION  FROM  THE  GOVERNOR  OF  KANAGAWA  TO 
THE  CONSULS,  THAT  EXTRA  PRECAUTIONS  BEING  NECESSARY, 
MORE  GUARDS  WOULD  BE  EMPLOYED. — GOVERNMENT  AGREES 
TO  PAY  THE  INDEMNITY  DEMANDED  OF  THEM  BY  THE  BRITISH 
GOVERNMENT,  LEAVING  SATSUMA  TO  BE  SUBSEQUENTLY  SET- 
TLED WITH. — FRESH  TROUBLES. — LETTER  FROM  THE  GOROJIU 
OGASAWARA  TO  THE  MINISTER  ANNOUNCING  THE  DETERMINA- 
TION OF  THE  GOVERNMENT  TO  CLOSE  THE  PORTS. — REPLY. — 

THE     MIKADO     ALWAYS    ACTED    THROUGH    THE    TYCOON. THE 

TYCOONS  NOT  ALL    "  PUPPETS." — THE  GOVERNMENT'S  APOLOGY 
TO  GREAT  BRITAIN. — ASSASSINATION  OF  AME-NO-KOJI. 

IT  had  been  decided  that  the  Shogun  should  go  to 
Kioto  in  the  spring  of  1868  ;  but  such  was  the  excitement 
in  that  city  in  consequence  of  the  rapid  influx  of 


AEBIVAL  OF  BKITISH  SQUADRON.  187 

daimios  and  their  followers  to  the  city,  and  of  ronins 
around  it,  that  it  became  absolutely  necessary  to  provide 
extra  means  for  its  security.  One  half  of  all  the  Yedo 
officers  of  every  rank  were  drafted  off  for  service  there  ; 
and  HITOTSUBASHI  Giobukio,  who  had  been  appointed 
the  guardian  of  the  Tycoon,  set  forth  early  in  February 
for  the  same  destination.  Three  days  later  he  was  fol- 
lowed by  the  Prince  of  OWAKI.  From  eveiy  portion  of 
the  empire  the  princes  resorted  to  the  metropolis,  and. 
the  ancient  cit}^  had  never  seen  a  period  of  such 
prosperity. 

Amongst  other  changes  and  innovations  now  in- 
troduced was  the  system  of  competitive  examinations  for 
offices  of  responsibilit}T.  The  Naval,  Military  "and  Civil 
service  schools,  heretofore  closed  to  all  but  the  families 
or  connexions  of  daimios  or  very  high  officers,  were 
thrown  open  to  all  classes,  and  instruction  in  the  naval 
and  military,  farming  and  mechanical  sciences,  and  in 
literature  was  imparted  to  all,  irrespective  of  rank. 

The  anxiety  of  the  Yedo  Government  must  have  been 
excessive.  The  princes  whose  territories  were  on  the  coast 
were  not  only  permitted  but  encouraged  to  buy  steamers 
and  other  foreign  built  ships  ;  and  several  were  disposed 
of  to  them  at  very  high  prices. 

While  all  this  \vas  going  on  in  the  two  capitals 
Colonel  NEALE  thought  it  necessary  to  provide  without 
delay  for  the  protection  of  the  foreign  settlements.  A 
dispatch  was  sent  to  Admiral  Kuper  at  Hongkong,  the 
result  of  which  was,  that,  by  the  end  of  March,  the 
Admiral  arrived  in  the  Euryalus  accompanied  by  the 
Kattler  and  llacehorse ;  and  in  a  short  time,  other  ships 
having  arrived,  the  harbour  of  Yokohama  was  well  lilled 
with  war  vessels  of  various  nationalities. 

It  was  high  time  that  such  a  demonstration  should  be 
made  ;  for  the  anti-foreign  party  were  growing  more  and 


188  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

more  impatient  for  active  steps  to  be  taken  against  the 
hated  strangers.  SHIMADZU  SABURO,  on  his  arrival  in 
Kioto  after  the  murder  of  RICHARDSON,  told  his  own  tale, 
saying  that  foreigners  had  insulted  him,  and  he  had 
ordered  them  to  be  slain.  Instead  of  being  rebuked  he 
was  commended  by  the  Mikado. 

On  HITOTSUBASHI'S  arrival  he  was  at  once  beset  with 
enquirers  as  to  the  day  appointed  for  the  forcible  expul- 
sion of  the  barbarians,  but  he  put  off  the  rabble  by 
urging  them  to  wait  until  the  Tycoon  himself  should 
arrive. 

In  Yedo  many  riots  took  place,  principally  between  the 
retainers  of  rival  princes. 

But  the  most  curious  and  incomprehensible  arrange- 
ment of  the  Government  was  that  by  which  Go-Ten-yama 
was  placed  under  the  care  of  SATSUMA,  whilst,  at  this 
very  moment,  the  heavy  retribution  for  the  assault  on 
the  Tokaido  by  SHIMADZU  SABURO'S  retainers,  was  on  the 
point  of  falling  on  the  clan.  The  replies  from  the  Home 
Government  to  Colonel  NEALE'S  dispatches  had  arrived  ; 
and  no  time  was  lost  in  communicating  their  contents  to 
the  Government.  It  was  said  to  be  the  intention  of  the 
Tycoon  to  start  for  Kioto  about  the  9th  or  10th  April, 
but  every  possible  effort  was  now  made  to  hasten  his 
departure ;  doubtless  with  the  view  of  delaying  any 
answer  to  whatever  communication  the  British  Charge 
d'affaires  had  to  make,  by  the  necessity  of  sending  it  to 
Kioto,  and  the  time  it  would  take  to  obtain  a  reply 
from  thence. 

On  the  29th  March  Colonel  NEALE  was  officially 
notified  that  the  departure  would  take  place  on  the  31st 
instant.  He  replied  that  in  two  or  three  days  he  would 
have  a  communication  to  make  respecting  the  instruc- 
tions he  had  received  from  his  G  overninent  with  regard  to 
the  murder  of  the  two  marines  who  were  slain  at  his  own 


COLONEL  NEALE'S  LETTER  TO  THE  GOVERNMENT.       189 

legation,  and  the  assault  on  the  unarmed  party  on  the 
Tokaido  by  retainers  of  Satsuma.  The  answer  to  this 
was  that  the  Tycoon's  journey  could  not  be  delayed,  and 
the  expression  of  a  doubt  as  to  the  possibility  of  settling 
the  business  speedily. 

On  the  6th  April  the  note  was  sent  by  Colonel  NEALE 
to  the  Japanese  Ministers  for  foreign  Affairs,  in  which  he 
informed  them  that  he  had  "  received  the  explicit  instruc- 
tions of  his  Government  to  demand  reparation  from  the 
Japanese  Government  for  the  murder  and  outrages  com- 
mitted upon  British  subjects  on  the  14th  September  last, 
on  the  Tokaido,  near  Kanagawa,  by  the  retainers  of 
Prince  SATSUMA."  Also  he  again  peremptorily  demanded 
"  redress  and  compensation  for  the  previous  outrage  on 
her  Britannic  Majesty's  legation  on  the  16th  June  last." 
He  pointed  out  to  them  how  different  had  been  the 
behaviour  of  the  British  Government  to  Japan,  to  the  con- 
duct of  the  Japanese  towards  the  British.  He  wrote  : — 

"Acting  under  evil  counsels,  the  Japanese  Govern- 
ment has  adopted  a  passive,  reserved,  and  unfriendly 
policy  with  the  British  Representative  not  only  in  regard 
to  these  outrages,  but  in  all  matters  of  interest  to  British 
subjects. 

"  This  unjustifiable  course  of  action  has  been  crowned 
with  the  destruction,  by  political  incendiaries,  of  the 
new  British  Legation-residence  at  Go-Ten-yania. 

"  On  the  other  hand  the  Government  of  Her  Britannic 
Majesty,  viewing  with  indulgence  the  obstacles  and 
obstructions  opposed  to  the  full  development  of  British 
commercial  enterprise  by  the  Japanese  Government,  and 
judging  them  to  emanate  from  the  great  political  embar- 
rassments of  the  country,  was  the  first  to  concede  to  the 
wishes  of  His  Majesty  the  Tycoon,  conveyed  through  his 
Envoys,  and  to  consent  conditionally  to  the  postpone- 
ment in  the  opening  of  Osaka  and  other  ports,  sub- 
sequently assented  to  by  other  European  Treaty  Powers, 
and  to  be  assented  to  by  the  Government  of  the  United 
States,  only  in  consideration  of  counter-concessions 


190  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

which  the  Government  of  Great  Britain  has  not  sought 
to  exact. 

"  The  Tycoon's  Envoys  have  returned  and  rendered  an 
account  of  their  mission  to  the  Japanese  Government,  in 
relation  to  the  foregoing  negotiations,  and  the  undersigned 
has  just  received  the  thanks  lately  expressed  to  him  in 
writing  by  your  Excellencies  on  behalf  of  the  Tycoon  and 
Government  of  Japan,  for  the  attentions  and  cordial 
reception  bestowed  upon  those  Envoys  by  the  Sovereign, 
Government  and  people  of  Great  Britain ;  a  record 
standing  in  painful  contrast  with  the  unfriendly  demea- 
nour of  the  Japanese  Ministers  towards  the  Representa- 
tives and  subjects  of  Her  Majesty  in  this  country. 

"The  Undersigned,  nevertheless,  unhesitatingly  pro- 
claims, and  challenges  the  Japanese  Government  to 
disprove  the  fact,  that  the  subjects  of  no  nation  with 
which  Japan  is  in  relation  have  given  less  cause  for 
ill-will  on  the  part  of  the  Japanese  authorities  than  the 
authorities  and  subjects  of  the  great  British  nation, 
which  the  Japanese  Government,  regardless  of  its  duty 
to  the  interests  of  the  Tycoon  and  his  dynasty,  has  been 
so  easily  persuaded  to  treat  with  distrust  and  disregard. 

"By  a  happy  and  rare  good  fortune,  which  could  not1 
reasonably  have  been  expected,  during  the  period  that 
British  subjects,  of  all  classes,  have  resided  in  Japan, 
and  thousands  of  British  sailors  have  frequented  its 
open  ports,  no  noticeable  instance  of  violence  against 
Japanese  has  been  complained  of  regarding  one  of  them, 
and  yet  in  numbers  they  exceed  all  other  foreign 
residents  in  Japan. 

"  Such  has  been  the  anxious  care  of  the  British 
authorities  to  engage  their  countrymen  to  adopt  the 
conduct  of  friendship  and  conciliation,  and  to  accom- 
modate themselves  to  the  difficult  situation  of  the 

Government  of  this  country. 

******        *        *       *        * 

"  The  reparation  now  demanded  for  the  murders  and 
murderous  assaults  committed  upon  British  subjects  has 
been  affixed  by  Her  Majesty's  Government  with  a  con- 
siderate regard  for  the  difficult  situation  of  the  Japanese 
Government  and  its  political  embarrassments.  But  the 
penalty  imposed,  and  the  measure  of  compensation 
demanded  for  the  sufferers  and  their  families,  now 


DEMANDS  ON  THE  JAPANESE  GOVERNMENT.  191 

computed  in  thousands,  will,  if  the  Japanese  Government 
continue  to  be  ill-advised,  inevitably  expand  into  millions, 
to  indemnify  the  costs  of  armaments  which  must  be 
employed  by  Great  Britain,  should  all  serious  warnings 
fail  to  ensure  the  redress  imperatively  demanded  for 
these  unprovoked  and  flagrant  outrages. 

********** 

"  Having  thus  discharged  his  duty  and  his  conscience 
by  the  earnest  remarks  which  precede,  the  Undersigned 
has  the  honour  to  state  to  your  Excellencies  that  he  is 
instructed  to  make  the  following  explicit  and  peremptory 
demands  on  the  Japanese  Government. 

"  First,  An  ample  and  formal  apology  for  the  offence 
of  permitting  a  murderous  attack  oh  British  subjects 
passing  on  a  road  open  by  Treaty  to  them. 

"  Secondly,  The  payment  of  £100,000  as  a  penalty  on 
Japan  for  this  offence. 

"  The  mode,  manner  and  form  of  the  apology  will  be 
regulated  in  conferences  between  the  Undersigned  and 
Commissioners  appointed  by  the  Japanese  Government, 
as  well  as  the  mode  and  manner  of  payment  of  the 
money  reparation  demanded. 

"  Twenty  days  from  this  date  is  assigned  to  the 
Japanese  Government  for  its  reply,  which  must  be  of  a 
categorical  character,  either  consenting  to  or  rejecting 
the  demands  here  made." 

It  was  further  stated  that  if  at  the  expiry  of  twenty 
days  the  reply  should  be  otherwise  than  a  positive  ac- 
ceptance of  the  reparation  demanded, 

"  the  British 

Admiral,  now  here  with  a  considerable  force,  will,  within 
twenty-four  hours  after  the  receipt  of  such  refusal  of 
demands,  proceed  to  enter  on  such  measures  as  may  be 
necessary  to  secure  the  reparation  demanded. 

"  The  Undersigned,  having  acquitted  himself  of  his 
duties  in  thus  earnestly  stating  and  explaining  to  the 
Tycoon's  Government  what  is  peremptorily  required  at 
its  hands,  and  the  penalties  that  must  inevitably  attend 
a  non-compliance  with  the  same,  proceeds  to  acquaint 
your  Excellencies  with  the  further  measures,  which, 
under  instructions  from  her  Majesty's  Government,  will 
l>e  adopted  to  enforce  a  far  more  important  portion  of 


192  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

the  reparation  rendered  necessary,  and  required  for  the 
barbarous  murder  of  the  14th  September,  from  the  Prince 
of  Satsuma,  by  whose  retainers  that  deed  was  per- 
petrated. *  *  * 

"  A  naval  force  will  be  directed  to  proceed  to  a  port 
appertaining  to  the  Prince  of  Satsuma,  where  will  be 
demanded  from  him  : — 

"1. — The  immediate  trial  and  capital  execution,  in 
presence  of  one  or  more  of  her  Majesty's  naval  officers, 
of  the  chief  perpetrators  of  the  murder  of  Mr.  EICHARDSON, 
and  of  the  murderous  assault  upon  the  lady  and  gentle- 
men who  accompanied  him. 

"  2.— The  payment  of  £25,000  sterling,  to  be  distri- 
buted to  the  relatives  of  the  murdered  man  and  to  those 
who  escaped  the  swords  of  the  assassins  on  that 
occasion." 

As  a  matter  of  course  the  twenty  days  spoken  of  in  the 
letter  expanded  into  many  weeks.  One  excuse  after 
another  was  made,  and  the  great  desire  of  the  British 
Government  to  see  the  matter  settled  without  any 
fighting  induced  Colonel  NEALE  to  listen  again  and  again 
to  their  appeals  for  extension  of  time. 

The  Tycoon  arrived  in  Kioto  on  the  21st  April  and 
took  up  his  residence  at  Nijo,  his  own  castle,  but  which 
had  not  been  inhabited  by  any  of  his  predecessors  since 
it  had  been  occupied  by  IYEMITZ'  two  hundred  and  thirty 
years  before. 

The  excitement  in  Kioto  became  intense ,  and  extended 
to  Yokohama.  In  the  latter,  the  fact  of  the  letter  having 
been  sent  to  the  Government  becoming  known  to  the 
natives,  and  a  day  fixed  for  an  answer,  which,  if  unfavour- 
able was  to  be  the  signal  for  war,  acted  on  their  fears  to 
such  an  extent  that  many  left  the  settlement.  It  would 
appear  that  the  Governor  of  Kanagawa  was  appealed  to, 
to  know  what  they  should  do ;  and  he,  instead  of  trying 
to  allay  the  excitement,  told  them  they  might  either  go 
or  stay,  as  they  liked.  The  easily  frightened  people, 
thought  they  would  be  on  the  safe  side,  and  the  native 


THE  U.  S.  LEGATION  BURNT.  198 

town  was  half  deserted.  It  was  even  difficult  for  for- 
eigners to  keep  their  Japanese  servants ;  of  whom 
probably  not  one  fourth  remained. 

Throughout  all  these  exciting  times,  the  U  S.  Minister 
had  quietly  resided  in  Yedo,  little  interesting  himself 
with  the  troubles  of  his  diplomatic  confreres ;  but  now  he 
was  to  have  a  gentle  reminder  that  he  was  a  foreigner, 
and  as  such,  as  much  the  object  of  popular  dislike  as 
others.  The  Government,  for  some  time  tried  every 
device  and  used  every  persuasive  argument  they  could 
think  of,  to  induce  him  to  leave  Yedo,  and  reside  in 
Yokohama.  But  he  was  deaf  to  their  entreaties.  The 
consequence  was,  that  on  the  24th  Ma}r,  his  legation  was 
set  on  fire  and  burnt  to  the  ground.  He  only  had  time 
to  save  the  legation  archives  ;  and  lost,  of  his  own  private 
property,  to  the  value  of  $10,000.  Adjoining  the  re- 
sidence was  the  large  temple  of  JEN-PU-KU-JI,  which, 
escaping  the  flames,  was  availed  of  by  Mr.  PRUYN  as 
a  temporary  residence.  On  the  31st  of  the  month,  as  he 
sat  at  dinner,  an  officer  ran  in  to  warn  him  that  he 
must  leave  at  once,  as  his  life  was  in  danger;  and  under 
the  alarm  of  this  intelligence  he  went  on  board  a  ship  in 
the  harbour  and  left  for  Yokohama  forthwith. 

And  now,  having  got  rid  of  the  United  States  Minister 
from  Yedo,  they  had  yet  one  other  object  to  accomplish, 
which  was  to  get  the  U.  S.  Consul  and  the  missionaries 
who  had  resided  in  Kanagawa  ever  since  the  opening  of 
the  port,  to  remove  to  Yokohama.  This  they  effected  by 
a  similar  ruse  to  that  they  had  played  on  the  minister,  and 
they  were  received  on  board  the  U.  S.  S.  Wyoming 
until  they  could  procure  suitable  dwellings  in  the 
settlement.  Originally  the  English  Consul  resided  at 
Kanagawa ;  but  it  was  found  to  be  inconvenient,  and  he 
had  removed  to  Yokohama  long  before  this. 

It  is  quite  evident  that  the  Japanese  were  bringing  all 
VOL.  i  x 


194  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

the  efforts  of  their  ingenious  minds  to  bear,  to  carry  out 
the  orders  from  Kioto. 

"During  this  time,"  says  the  Kinst  ShirUtkn,  "the 
Court  deliberated  daily  upon  the  expulsion  of  the  bar- 
barians, and  finally  sent  the  prince  of  MITO  down  to  Yedo, 
to  superintend  the  closing  of  the  ports.  All  the  maritime 
princes  were  sent  home  to  their  respective  provinces  to 
make  preparations  for  war." 

The  Mikado  now  fixed  the  25th  of  June  as  the  date 
for  the  expulsion  of  foreigners,  and  HITOTSUBASHI  Chiu- 
nagon  was  sent  down  to  Yedo  to  assist  the  prince  of  MITO 
in  closing  the  ports. 

On  the  same  day  that  the  United  States'  Minister  had 
been  so  adroitly  removed  from  Yedo,  the  Governor  of 
Kanagawa  notified  the  Consuls  of  all  the  treaty  powers 
that  the  ronins  had  so  multiplied  in  Yedo  and  the 
vicinity,  that  not  only  the  Tokaido  was  unsafe  but 
Yokohama  also.  Under  these  circumstances  the  Govern- 
ment was  taking  every  precaution  ;  additional  guards 
commanded  by  trusty  hatamotos  would  be  placed  round 
the  settlement,  and  it  was  even  proposed  to  post  a  strong 
detachment  of  them  on  the  eastern  hatoba. 

The  whole  tale  seemed  to  the  foreigners  a  mere 
attempt  to  enclose  them  in  a  net  from  which  they  could 
not  escape,  as  a  preliminary  to  their  total  expulsion. 
Outside  the  settlement  they  allowed  the  Japanese 
authorities  to  do  as  they  thought  proper,  but  the  placing 
men  on  the  hatoba  they  would  not  consent  to  for  a 
moment.  Thus,  if  the  object  of  the  Government  really 
was  to  entrap  foreigners,  it  failed. 

The  delays,  one  after  another,  that  occurred  through 
the  absence  of  the  Tycoon  from  Yedo,  may  not  have 
been  his  fault.  He  made  repeated  applications  to  the 
Mikado  for  permission  to  leave  Kioto,  pointing  out  in 
the  most  urgent  manner  the  necessity  of  giving  an 


BKITISH  BESIDENTS  CONVENED  BY  THEIR  CONSUL.         195 

answer  to  the  British  demands,  but  his  requests  were  not 
granted. 

The  negotiations,  however,  were  not  allowed  to 
slumber,  and  at  length  the  Japanese  Government  pro- 
mised to  pay  the  indemnity  and  penalty  demanded  of  it, 
i'110,000,  in  weekly  instalments  of  ,£10,000 ;  leaving  the 
demand  on  the  Prince  of  Satsuma  to  be  settled  by  that 
chief  as  a  separate  affair.  But  even  now  all  was  not  to 
go  smoothly,  as  the  following  extract,  which  I  give 
at  length  from  the  Japan  Herald,  will  show. 

"On  the  afternoon  of  Saturday  (20th)  a  meeting  of 
British  residents  was  convened  at  the  Consulate  by  Dr. 
WINCHESTER  H.  B.  M.'s  Consul,  who  remarked  that  he 
had  abstained,  since  the  meeting  he  had  convened  about 
ten  weeks  since,  from  assembling  those  under  his  jurisdic- 
tion together  for  the  purpose  of  communicating  to  them 
the  course  of  events,  for  so  many  had  been  the  changes 
in  the  aspect  of  things  that  his  doing  so  could  only  have 
had  the  effect  of  uselessly  exciting  or  depressing  their 
hopes  of  a  peaceful  and  satisfactory  issue  from  the 
present  difficulties ;  indeed  there  appeared  the  less 
occasion  for  his  doing  so  because,  so  far  as  the  most 
solemn  written  obligations  could  afford  any  indication, 
the  peaceful  settlement  of  affairs  might  have  been 
reasonably  anticipated.  At  the  last  moment,  however, 
this  singular  people  had  repudiated  these  obligations. 

"He  then  read  the  following  despatch  received  by 
him  from  H.  B.  M.'s  Charge  d'AJffaires. 

Yokohama,  20th  June,  1863. 

'SiR, — I  have  to  instruct  you  to  adopt  as  early  as 
possible,  such  measures  as  may  be  most  effectual  to 
make  known  to  the  British  community  and  to  your 
colleagues  the  Consuls  of  Foreign  States  the  present 
situation  of  affairs  in  regard  to  the  subject  of  the  British 
demands  upon  the  Japanese  Government. 

'  The  patience  and  moderation  which  I  have  exercised 
in  my  communications  with  the  Tycoon's  Government,  in 
the  earnest  desire  of  bringing  about  a  peaceful  settlement 
of  the  avowedly  just  demands  for  reparation  preferred  by 
Her  Majesty's  Government,  are  well  known,  and  suf- 
licientlv  manifest. 


196  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

'At  the  most  recent  date,  (the  18th  instant)  these 
objects  which  I  had  in  view  were  on  the  very  eve  of  being 
happily  accomplished. 

'  The  Japanese  Government,  through  its  Envoys,  had, 
after  innumerable  difficulties,  solemnly  and  unreservedly 
entered  into  a  written  engagement  with  me  to  pay  the 
pecuniary  demands  at  short  specified  intervals,  the  first 
payment  to  have  been  made  on  the  date  above  referred 
to.' 

'  That  day  has  been  reached  and  is  passed,  and  the 
Japanese  Ministers  have  flagrantly,  unequivocally  and 
designedly,  broken  their  faith. 

'  In  the  most  unjustifiable  and  audacious  manner,  the 
Tycoon's  Government  now  seeks  to  re-open  negociations 
previous  to  accomplishing  their  solemn  assent  to  the 
settlement  of  the  pecuniary  portion  of  the  demands,  and 
openly  declare  their  intention  to  withhold  all  payments  ; 
thus  most  effectually  extinguishing  all  remaining  faith 
in  even  their  most  solemn  engagements. 

'As  Her  Majesty's  Representative  I  have  now  therefore 
to  declare  that  the  utmost  limits  of  my  patience  (con- 
sistently exerted  and  directed  to  exact  the  reparation 
sought,  by  peaceful  means,  and  which  I  had  good  reason 
to  hope  had  been  successfully  exerted)  is  now  exhausted. 

'  Her  Majesty's  subjects  and  your  colleagues  the  Consuls 
of  Foreign  States  have,  during  a  period  of  ten  weeks, 
at  intervals  been  informed  that  the  adoption  of  coercive 
measures  was  an  impending  contingency,  though  the 
probability  or  otherwise  of  their  occurence  was  alternately 
stronger  or  feebler  as  matters  progressed.  On  my  part 
I  have  not  failed  urgently  to  advise  through  yourself 
British  subjects  and  the  Foreign  community  generally  to 
be  prepared  for  the  worst  and  most  regrettable  emergency 
which  could  arise,  namely,  the  necessity  which  might 
present  itself  (with  a  view  to  the  security  of  their  persons 
and  property)  of  abandoning  the  open  Ports,  while  the 
Vice- Admiral  Commanding-in-Chief  has  as  often  and  as 
consistently  declared  his  inability  to  hold,  militarily,  the 
settlement,  if  coercive  measures  were  actually  resorted  to 
effectually  to  enforce  compliance  with  the  demands. 

'  So  long  as  a  chance  of  honest  though  tardy  action 
could  be  anticipated  on  the  part  of  the  Japanese  Govern- 
ment, I  have  scrupulously  deferred  initiating  any  hos- 


CONSUL  WINCHESTER'S  COMMUNICATION.  197 

tilities  by  an  appeal  to  force;  but  I  now  feel  myself 
urgently  called  upon  to  leave  the  adoption  of  the  only 
measures  which  the  Eiders  of  this  country  would  appear 
to  understand  or  appreciate, — namely,  those  of  coercion, 
— to  the  Admiral,  into  whose  hands  I  will  this  day 
consign  the  solution  of  affairs. 

'Thus,  within  a  very  short  period,  the  policy  of 
expediency,  invariably  adopted  by  the  Japanese  Govern- 
ment, may  possibly  lead  them  to  repair  their  broken 
faith,  by  the  actual  payment  of  the  indemnities,  and  a 
more  peaceful  aspect  of  affairs  may  again  present  itself ; 
— or,  on  the  other  hand,  the  Admiral  may  have  deemed 
it  advisable  to  profit  by  the  circumstances  to  carry  out 
.  some  of  the  operations  he  may  decide  upon. 

'  Thus,  also,  Her  Majesty's  subjects  and  your  collea- 
gues' will  judge  of  the  measures  they  may  individually 
deem  it  practicable  and  expedient  to  adopt  under  all  the 
circumstances  here  most  unreservedly  and  explicitly  set 
forth. 

'  I  need  hardly  add  that  I  shall  not  fail  immediately  to 
concert  with  Admiral  KUPER  and  Admiral  JUAREZ  (whose 
frank  and  cordially  proffered  co-operation  I  am  assured 
of),  respecting  such  temporary  measures  for  the  safe- 
guard of  the  community  in  this  emergency,  as  may  be 
practicable. 

I  have,  &c. 

(Signed)         EDWD.  ST.  JOHN  NEALE. 
To  CHARLES  A.  WINCHESTER,  Esq., 
&c.,  &c.,  &c." 

"  H.  B.  M.'s  Consul  then  read  some  notes  of  an  inter- 
view which  had  been  held  between  the  Governor  of  Kana- 
gawa  and  some  of  the  Foreign  Consuls  on  the  20th  inst., 
which  had  been  kindly  forwarded  to  him  by  a  colleague. 
By  this  it  appeared  that  the  Governor  stated  that  on  the 
night  of  the  18th  he  had  received  commands  not  to  pay 
the  money  the  next  day,  but  that  Ogasawara  would  come 
down  on  the  22nd ;  that  he  had  received  a  letter  from  the 
Tycoon  commanding  him  not  to  pay  the  money,  because 
it  was  impossible  for  the  Gorojiu  to  communicate  with 
officers  of  inferior  rank.  The  Tycoon  had  every  inten- 
tion to  pay  the  money,  but  if  he  did  so  he  would  lose  his 
life.  The  Tycoon  was  the  friend,  and  the  Mikado  the 
enemy,  of  foreigners  ;  the  latter  had  forbidden  the  Tycoon 


198  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

to  pay,  and  the  former  had  heen  compelled  to  obey,  or 
lose  his  position.  The  Governor  did  not  think  that  the 
money  would  be  paid,  for  the  rumour  of  such  an  inten- 
tion had  spread  through  the  country,  and  the  ronins  and 
other  bad  people  said — '  Why  pay  the  money  to  these 
poor  fools — to  these  bad  foreigners  ?  '  The  opinion  of 
the  Tycoon's  government  was  that  the  money  ought  to 
be  paid ;  and  the  proof  of  this  was  that  when  the  ultima- 
tum was  sent  to  Yedo  on  the  6th  April,  the  Tycoon,  who 
was  still  there,  ordered  the  Governor  to  pay  it.  On  his 
way  to  Miako  the  Tycoon  had  received  a  communication 
from  his  spiritual  superior  which  had  made  him  reflect. 
Subsequently  a  great  many  things  had  occurred  at  Miako. 
The  Governor  had  done  nothing  ;  therefore,  he  hoped  the 
Admiral  would  do  nothing. 

"  On  the  evening  of  Sunday  (the  21st)  another  meeting 
of  the  British  Eesidents  was  held  at  the  residence  of 
H.  B.  M.'s  Consul,  when  the  following  despatch  was 
read. 

"  Euryalus  "  at  Yokohama, 

21st  June,  1863. 

'Sin, — Her  Majesty's  Charge  d' Affaires  has  placed  in 
my  hands  the  solution  of  the  questions  at  issue  between 
the  Japanese  Government  and  that  of  Her  Majesty,  in 
consequence  of  all  peaceful  and  diplomatic  negociations 
having  failed  to  bring  the  Government  of  the  Tycoon  to 
a  due  sense  of  its  obligations. 

'  The  instructions  under  which  in  this  contingency,  it 
will  now  be  my  duty  to  act,  will  necessarily  involve 
coercive  measures  to  be  undertaken  by  the  naval  force 
under  my  command  ;  and  as  such  measures  will  probably 
lead  to  action  on  the  part  of  the  Japanese,  which  would 
endanger  the  safety  not  against  British  subjects  but  also 
of  all  Foreign  residents  iu  Japan,  I  have  to  request  you 
will  forthwith  communicate  the  circumstance  to  all 
British  subjects,  and  to  the  Consuls  of  Foreign  Powers, 
with  a  view  to  their  immediately  adopting  such  steps  as 
they  may  think  desirable  for  the  security  of  their  persons 
and  property,  the  force  at  my  disposal  being  inadequate 
for  the  efficient  protection  of  Yokohama,  wiiilst  carrying 
out  the  instructions  of  Her  Majesty's  Government  in 
other  parts  of  Japan. 

'  In  order  that  the  community  may  have  sufficient  time 


CO-OPERATION  OP  ENGLISH  AND  FRENCH  ADMIRALS.         199 

to  make  arrangements  for  their  personal  security,  I  desire 
you  will  inform  them  that,  unless  called  upon  by  any 
initiative  act  of  hostility  on  the  part  of  the  Japanese,  to 
maintain  the  dignity  of  the  British  flag,  1  shall  not  take 
any  hostile  step  until  the  expiration  of  eight  days  from 
this  date,  inclusive. 

'  I  have  also  to  acquaint  you  that  all  the  precautionary 
measures  adopted  some  weeks  since  for  the  speedy  relief 
of  the  Foreign  community  in  the  event  of  any  sudden 
attack  or  disturbance,  will  be  continued  during  the 
interval  mentioned  and  subsequently,  if  possible,  with  the 
same  vigilance  as  hitherto ;  and  such  additional  assistance 
rendered  as  will  be  consistent  with  the  duty  of  preserving 
the  efficiency  of  Her  Majesty's  ships. 

'Under  the  existing  state  of  affairs,  and  the  great 
probability  of  approaching  strife  and  turmoil,  I  think  it 
necessary  to  recommend  most  strongly  that  all  those  of 
the  community  who  have  wives  and  families  at  Yoko- 
hama, should  take  the  earliest  opportunity  of  removing 
them,  at  any  rate  from  the  scene  of  danger,  should  they 
themselves  determine  upon  awaiting  the  issue  of  events. 

I  have,  &c., 

(Signed)  AUGUSTUS  L.  RUPEE, 

Vice  Admiral  and 
Commander-in-  Chief. 
To  CHARLES  A.  WINCHESTER,  Esq., 
&c.,        &c.,        &c." 

"  In  this  position  matters  remained  till  the  evening  of 
the  23rd  June. 

"  It  may  be  as  well  before  proceeding  further  to  state 
that  immediately  upon  the  despatches  of  Colonel  NEALE 
and  Admiral  KUPER  being  communicated  to  them,  the 
most  vigorous  and  hearty  cooperation  was  offered  by  the 
French  authorities,  the  Admiral,  JUAREZ,  expressing  his 
determination  to  hold  the  settlement  to  the  last 
extremity. 

"On  the  above  day,  about  noon,  rumours  arose  of  a 
character  to  have  a  somewhat  reassuring  effect,  and 
towards  night  those  behind  the  scenes  had  a  strong 
inkling  that  the  money  was  about  to  be  posted.  And  so 
it  proved.  The  Japanese  Governors,  shut  out  by  the 
position  into  which  the  persistence  of  their  Government 


200  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

in  a  course  of  procrastination  had  driven  matters,  from 
direct  communication  with  the  British  Charge  d' Affaires, 
at  midnight  28-24  sought  and  obtained  an  interview  with 
the  French  Minister,  and  informed  him  that  they  were 
ready  to  pay  the  money.  This  was  at  once  communicated 
to  the  British  authorities,  and  at  one  o'clock  H.  B.  M.'s 
Charge  d' Affaires  communicated  to  them,  in  answer 
to  their  request  to  him  to  receive  it,  that  as  the 
Japanese  Government  had  allowed  things  to  go  to  such 
extremity,  the  former  arrangement,  for  the  payment  in 
instalments,  would  not  now  be  acted  on,  but  that  if  they 
hoped  the  money  to  be  received  the  whole  amount  of 
£110,000  must  be  paid  down  in  full  in  440,000  good 
Mexican  dollars,  at  seven  o'clock.  At  early  dawn  of  the 
morning  the  cry  of  the  coolies  resounded  through  the 
streets  as  they  dragged  their  heavy  burthens  from  the 
treasury  to  the  legation. 

"  On  Wednesday  morning,  too,  a  document  arrived 
from  the  Japanese  Ministers  of  Foreign  Affairs  to 
the  Ministers  of  Foreign  Powers,  informing  them 
that  they  had  been  charged  by  the  Tycoon,  now  at 
Miako,  with  the  carrying  out  the  instructions  of  the 
Mikado,  that  the  ports  should  be  closed  and  foreigners 
put  away  from  Japan ;  and  that  they  were  willing  to 
enter  into  negociations  upon  the  subject.  As  may  be 
supposed  the  only  notice  which  was  taken  of  it  was  an 
indignant  protest  from  all  the  ministers,  and  a  promise 
to  convey  the  subject  matter  of  the  communication  to  their 
respective  governments. 

"H.  B.  M.'s  Charge  d'Affaires  caused  a  circular  to  be 
issued  to  the  effect  that,  as  the  penalties  are  now  in 
course  of  actual  satisfaction,  the  negociations  relative  to 
the  remaining  portion  of  the  instructions  revert  to  the 
position  which  existed  anterior  to  the  20th  of  June,  and 
will  be  pursued  with  the  same  fixed  determination  as 
heretofore. 

"H.  B.  M.'s  Charge  d'Affaires  in  the  same  circular 
acknowledged  the  prudence  and  self-control  which  charac- 
terised the  relations  of  the  British  community  with  the 
Japanese  since  the  commencement  of  these  negociations. 

"As  we  now  write,  business  and  the  wonted  amount  of 
comfort  and  sense  of  security  are  rapidly  springing  up, 
and  but  for  the  Fleet  still  in  our  harbour,  and  an 


FRESH  TROUBLES.  201 

additional  sprinkling  of  naval  and  military  uniforms  in 
our  streets,  there  is  but  little  to  indicate  that  so 
momentous  a  cloud  is  but  just  passing  over  Japan." 

But  actually  whilst  all  this  was  being  thus  satisfactorily 
arranged  at  Yokohama,  fresh  troubles  were  in  prepara- 
tion. Any  reader  of  all  these  facts  must  see  the  extreme 
difficulties  that  both  the  Foreign  and  Japanese  Ministers 
had  to  encounter.  It  is  easy  to  say  now-a-days  that  all 
arose  from  the  Tycoon  having  assumed  a  power,  in  enter- 
ing into  treaties,  that  he  did  not  possess.  Up  to  the  time 
the  treaties  were  made  his  power  had  been  absolute.  But 
as  I  have  shown  elsewhere,  quoting  the  circular  upon  the 
subject  issued  by  him  in  August  1858,  he  did  appeal  to 
the  Mikado.  The  words  are  in  the  circular : — "  It  was 
impossible  for  us  to  comply  with  this  (the  demand  of  the 
United  States  for  a  Treaty)  without  consultation  ivith  the 
Mikado." — "  The  Mikado,  on  hearing  of  this  was  much 
troubled."  And  the  Imperial  reply  was  that  "  if  it  was 
necessary  to  conclude  any  treaties,  the  Tycoon  must  make 
exceptions  in  favour  of  the  neighbourhood  of  Miako,  and 
that  Hiogo  in  Setzu  should  be  left  out  if  possible."  The 
Mikado  also  said  : — "  You  have  thought  it  well  to  open 
the  port  to  Foreigners,  but  you  did  not  consider  that 
Foreigners  would  entangle  you  with  difficulties.  We  would 
know  your  opinion  in  this  respect."  This  was  conveyed 
to  the  Tycoon  in  April  1858,  long  before  any  real  dif- 
ficulties could  have  arisen,  except  from  within ;  and  when 
none  but  the  American  Minister,  Mr.  HARRIS,  was  in  the 
country ;  certainly  before  any  one  of  any  other  na- 
tionality could  have  given  cause  for  complaint. 

The  language  of  the  Mikado  recognises  clearly,  as  it 
seems  to  me,  that  the  power  was  vested  in  the  Tycoon. 

Of  course  the  foreign  representatives  could  only  act  on 
the  lights  theyf  possessed.  Had  the  Japanese  Govern- 
ment, from  the  first,  acted  in  an  "open  straight- forward 

VOL.  i  y 


202  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

manner,  such  as  has  been  the  case  with  all  other  na- 
tionalities with  whom  relations  have  been  opened,  they 
would  not  have  been  subjected  to  such  suspicions  and 
doubts  as  they  were.  But  being  themselves  suspicious 
of  everybody — as  indeed  the  Japanese  continue  as  a 
nation  to  be  to  this  day — they  made  it  their  study  how  to 
deceive  and  mislead  their  new  friends.  So  it  was  that 
every  move  they  made  was  deemed  to  have  an  ulterior 
object,  and,  rightly  or  wrongly,  they  were  distrusted. 

Now,  after  the  payment  of  the  $440,000  in  the  manner 
described,  it  must  have  been  rather  startling  for  each  of 
the  foreign  representatives  to  receive  a  dispatch,  of  which 
this  is  Mr.  SATOW'S  translation  : — 

"  I  communicate  with  you  by  a  dispatch. 

"  The  orders  of  the  Tycoon,  received  from  Kioto,  are  to 
the  effect  that  the  ports  are  to  be  closed  and  the  foreigners 
driven  out,  because  the  people  of  the  country  do  not 
desire  intercourse  with  foreign  countries.  The  discussion 
of  this  has  been  entirely  entrusted  to  me  by  His  Majesty. 
I  therefore  send  you  this  communication  first,  before 
holding  a  conference  respecting  the  details. 

"  Eespectful  and  humble  communication. 

(24th  June,  1863). 

(Signed)         OGASAWARA  DZUSHO-NO-KAMI." 

The  answers  of  all  the  representatives  were  couched 
in  similar  terms  to  that  of  Colonel  NEALE.  The 
incident  is  of  such  surpassing  importance  that  I  give 
verbati?n  the  reply  of  the  English  Charge  d' Affaires.  It 
is  dated  the  very  day  of  receiving  the  letter,  and  the 
day  following  that  on  which  the  money  had  been  paid. 

"  The  undersigned,  her  Britannic  Majesty's  Charge 
d'Affaires,  has  received,  in  common  with  his  colleagues, 
and  with  extreme  amazement,  the  extraordinary  an- 
nouncement, which,  under  instructions  from  his  Majesty 
the  Tycoon,  his  Excellency  has  addressed  to  him. 

"  Apart  from  the  audacious  nature  of  this  announce- 
ment, which  is  unaccompanied  by  any  explanation 
whatever,  the  undersigned  is  bound  to  believe  that 


REPLY  TO  OGASAWARA'S  DISPATCH.  203 

both  the  spiritual  and  temporal  sovereigns  of  this 
empire,  are  totally  ignorant  of  the  disastrous  conse- 
quences that  must  arise  to  Japan  by  their  determination 
thus  conveyed  through  you  to  close  the  opened  ports,  and 
to  remove  therefrom  the  subjects  of  the  treaty  powers. 

"  For  himself,  as  representative  of  her  Britannic 
Majesty,  the  undersigned  has  to  observe,  in  the  first 
instance,  that  the  rulers  of  this  country  may  still  have 
it  in  their  power  to  modify  and  soften  the  severe  and 
irresistible  measures  which  will,  without  the  least  doubt, 
be  adopted  by  Great  Britain,  most  effectually  to  maintain 
and  enforce  its  treaty  obligations  with  this  country,  and, 
more  than  this,  to  place  them  on  a  far  more  satisfactory 
and  solid  footing  than  heretofore,  by  speedily  making 
known  and  developing  any  rational  and  acceptable  plans 
directed  to  this  end,  which  may  be  at  present  concealed 
by  his  Majesty  the  Tycoon  or  by  the  Mikado,  or  both,  to 
the  great  and  imminent  peril  of  Japan. 

"  It  is  therefore  the  duty  of  the  undersigned  solemnly 
to  warn  the  rulers  of  this  country  that  when  the  decision 
of  her  Majesty's  Government,  consequent  upon  the 
receipt  of  your  Excellency's  announcement,  shall  have 
in  due  course  been  taken,  the  development  of  all  ulterior 
determinations  now  kept  back  will  be  of  no  avail. 

"  The  undersigned  in  the  meanwhile  has  to  inform 
your  Excellency,  with  a  view  that  you  may  bring  the 
same  to  the  knowledge  of  his  Majesty  the  Tycoon,  who 
will  doubtless  make  the  same  known  to  the  Mikado,  that 
the  indiscreet  communication  now  made  through  your 
Excellency  is  unparalleled  in  the  history  of  all  nations, 
civilized  or  uncivilized  ;  that  it  is,  in  fact,  a  declaration 
of  war  by  Japan  itself  against  the  whole  of  the  treaty 
powers,  and  the  consequences  of  which,  if  not  at  once 
arrested,  it  will  have  speedily  to  expiate  by  the  severest 
and  most  merited  chastisement. 

With  respect  and  consideration. 

(Signed)        EDWARD  ST.  JOHN  NEALE." 

OGASAWARA  was,  as  my  readers  will  have  perceived,  a 
member  of  the  Gorojiu,  and  no  one  knew  better  than 
himself  the  absurdity  of  sending  this  letter  to  the 
foreign  representatives.  But  he  was  compelled  to 
forward  it  by  the  positive  orders  received  from  Kioto. 


204 


YOUNG  JAPAN. 


Observe  its  date,  the  24th  of  June.  The  25th  was  the 
day  appointed  for  the  actual  expulsion  of  the  barbarians. 
The  Tycoon  was  obliged  to  send  this  order  to  Yedo, 
though  he  knew  how  useless  it  was.  In  very  truth,  the 
Mikado  was  a  prince  upon  whom  these  affairs  of  stat  e 
were  suddenly  enforced;  and  he  naturally  listened  to 
those  who  flattered  him  and  urged  him  to  assume  his 
proper  status  in  the  empire — "  Be  a  ruler  in  fact  as  well 
as  in  name.  Judge  the  acts  of  your  vice-gerent,  and 
compel  him  to  obey  your  infallible  decrees."  Ignorant 
of  everything  connected  with  the  outer  world,  (as  all  the 
Japanese  were,  but  he  especially),  and  prejudiced  as  all 
ignorant  people  are,  it  is  not  to  be  wondered  at  that  he 
allowed  himself  to  be  made  an  instrument  in  the  hands 
of  the  bold  and  energetic  spirits  who  professed  to  be 
maintaining  his  cause.  Yet  it  must  be  observed,  even 
with  all  the  influences  brought  to  bear  upon  him,  that 
he  always  gave  his  orders  to  the  Tycoon — to  no  one 
else.  He  said  to  him — "  Do  !"  and  left  him  to  find  the 
means  of  obeying  the  command.  Even  when  it  was 
proposed  to  him  to  place  himself  at  the  head  of  an  army 
to  drive  out  the  strangers,  after  consenting,  he  withdrew 
and  left  it  to  the  Tycoon.  Further,  it  must  be  remarked 
— for  it  is  most  remarkable — that  notwithstanding  all  the 
opposition  that  was  made  to  the  Tycoon  and  his  Govern- 
ment, there  was  not  one  who  did  not  yield  to  his  judgment 
if  sentenced  to  punishment;  obey,  at  least  outwardly, 
his  behests,  when  ordered  to  fulfil  any  particular  duty  ; 
and  speak  of  him  with  the  respect  usually  only  reserved 
for  a  sovereign,  in  any  public  verbal  or  written  com- 
munications. And  if  any  will  speak  of  the  Tycoon  as  a 
mere  puppet,  I  ask  him  to  observe  the  importance 
attached  to  his  personal  visit  to  Kioto  ;  the  impossibility 
of  properly  carrying  on  the  Government  at  Yedo  with- 
out him  ;  and  the  weight  attached  by  the  Mikado  to  the 


APOLOGY  FOB  RICHARDSON'S  MURDER.          205 

personal  presence  of  IYEMOCHI,  boy  as  he  was  (17  years 
of  age),  at  his  side  at  the  metropolis.  The  best  proof 
that  if  a  Tycoon  was  a  mere  puppet,  it  was  his  own 
fault,  is  the  respect  with  which  the  more  active  ones 
who  made  their  power  felt,  are  ever  spoken  of  in  history 
and  by  their  countrymen.  Doubtless  sloth  and  luxury 
had  crept  in  during  some  of  the  later  reigns ;  but 
IYEMOCHI,  the  last  but  one  of  his  dynasty,  and  YOSHI-NOBU 
(HiToxsuBASHi)  his  successor,  and  the  last  of  that  regime, 
can  hardly  have  been  such  non-entities  as  some  attempt 
to  describe  them. 

Adhering  now  as  nearly  as  possible  to  dates,  on  the  3rd 
July,  Colonel  NEALE  received  the  following  apology, 
which  closed  the  Tokaido  episode  so  far  as  the  Govern- 
ment was  concerned. 

"  The  Japanese  Ministers  to  Lieut  Colonel  NEALE. 
"  We  communicate  with  you  by  a  dispatch. 
"  Last  year,  at  the  British  Legation  in  Yedo,  a  wicked 
and  murderous  act  took  place.     Again,  on  the  Tokaido,  a 
British  subject  was  murdered.     Such  unfortunate  affairs 
were  for  us  highly  to  be  regretted.     Thus  we  hope  that 
affairs  likely  to  break  off  the  intercourse  between  the  two 
countries  may  not  again  arise. 

"  We  desire  to  inform  you  thus  much. 
"  Eespectful  and  humble  communication." 
(July  8,  1863.) 

(Signed)        MATSUDAIRA  BUZEN-NO-KAMI. 
INOUYE  KAWACHI-NO-KAMI. 
OGASAWARA  DZUSHO-NO-KAMI. 

The  different  sentiments  expressed  in  this  apology 
written  on  the  3rd  July  and  in  the  communication  of  the 
24th  June,  are  enough  to  show  the  confusion  in  the 
Councils  of  the  Empire. 

On  the  following  day  (4th  July)  ANE-NO-KOJI  who  had 
been  associated  with  SANJO  in  the  mission  from  the 
Mikado  to  the  Tycoon  at  the  end  of  the  year  1862,  was 


206  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

assassinated  in  Kioto — by  whom,  the  why  and  the  where- 
fore, are  mere  matter  of  conjecture., 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

MORE  EXCITEMENT. — THE  CHOSHIU  FORTS  AND  STEAMERS 
FIRE  UPON  FOREIGN  VESSELS  IN  THE  STRAITS  OF  SIMONOSEKI. 
DETAILS  OF  REPRISALS  BY  THE  FRENCH,  DUTCH  AND  AMERICAN 
MEN-OF-WAR. THE  JAPANESE  NAVY  IN  THE  YEAR  1863. 

IT  seems  that  before  we  come  to  the  stirring  tale  of 
the  settlement  of  the  affair  still  outstanding  between 
SATSUMA  and  Great  Britain,  we  are  to  be  detained  awhile 
with  other  matters,  not  one  whit  less  exciting. 

While  affairs  in  Yedo  and  Yokohama  were  in  the 
unsettled  condition  we  have  described — in  Yedo  the  public 
places  being  covered  with  addresses,  canards  and  re- 
monstrances of  a  most  inflammatory  character ;  and  in 
Yokohama  the  number  of  Government  guards  being 
nearly  trebled ; — news  came  from  a  distant  quarter,  of 
more  outrages,  calling  for  immediate  retribution. 

On  the  3rd  July  it  became  generally  known  that  the 
American  Minister  had  received  intimation  from  the 
Japanese  Government  by  a  messenger  from  Yedo,  that  a 
merchant-steamer  bearing  the  American  flag  had  been 
fired  into  by  either  one  or  two  Japanese  armed  vessels 
near  the  Western  Straits  of  the  Inland  sea. 


208  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

"  The  Pembroke  was  at  anchor  for  the  night  near 
the  straits  at  the  entrance  of  the  western  end  of  the 
Inland  Sea.  She  passed  a  Japanese  barque,  European 
built,  at  about  2  p.m.  in  the  day.  She  was  well  armed, 
full  of  men,  with  no  ensign  set.  The  Pembroke  had 
an  American  ensign  flying.  After  the  Pembroke  an- 
chored, and  at  about  four  o'clock,  the  bark  came  down 
with  a  fair  wind  with  the  Japanese  man-of-war  ensign 
flying.  She  passed  the  Pembroke  and  anchored  between 
her  and  the  straits  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  off. 
When  she  was  approaching  a  gun  was  fired  from  a  bluff 
about  4  miles  off,  and  the  signal  wras  repeated  all  along 
the  coast.  Nothing  occurred  in  the  evening,  but  ap- 
parently after  dark  the  bark  warped  up,  and  got  springs 
on  her  cable,  for  when  she  opened  fire  she  was  nearer 
and  was  broadside  on  to  the  wind. 

"  She  commenced  firing  on  the  Pembroke  at  a 
quarter  before  one  A.M.  It  was  dark  but  she  could  see 
plainly  by  the  flashes  of  lightning  which  were  frequent. 
After  she  had  fired  about  a  dozen  shots  one  of  which  cut 
away  the  topmast  backstay,  and  all  passed  close  to  the 
vessel,  a  brig,  recognised  as  the  Lanrick,  suddenly 
appeared  coming  from  the  windward,  and  passed  about 
40  yards  from  the  Pembroke  and  dropped  anchor 
close  to  the  barque. 

"  Both  then  fired  as  rapidly  as  they  could  load  and 
discharge,  but  the  Pembroke  by  that  time  had  got 
steam  up  and  ran  out  of  fire  escaping  to  sea  through  the 
Bungo  Channel,  a  pass  seldom  used  by  foreign  vessels. 
The  Japanese  Pilot  tried  to  escape,  but  was  detained 
by  force.  During  the  attack  a  great  many  lights  were 
visible  in  motion  on  shore,  and  the  noise  of  manning 
boats  distinctly  distinguishable.  When  the  Lanrick 
passed  the  Pembroke  a  terrific  yell  was  raised  from 
both  vessels,  but  they  fortunately  did  not  fire — probably 
because  they  were  not  ready ;  if  they  had  the  steamer 
would  have  been  destroyed,  as  she  was  only  about 
100  or  120  feet  off. 

"  The  Pembroke's  guns  were  lashed,  and  no  attempt 
was  made  to  use  them,  every  one  on  board  being  busily 
engaged  in  aiding  to  get  under  weigh." 

The  whole  attention  of  foreigners  was   now  diverted 


CHOSHITI  FIRES  ON  FOEEIGN  SHIPS.  209 

to  the  Inland  sea ;  for  the  assault  upon  the  little 
merchant  steamer  Pembroke  was  immediately  followed 
by  similar  ones  on  a  French  despatch  boat,  the  Kien- 
chang,  and  on  H.  N.  M.  S.  Medusa. 

"  Scarcely  had  the  intelligence  of  the  assault  upon  the 
American  merchant  ship  Pembroke  become  generally 
known,  and  the  United  States  Frigate  "  Wyoming  "  left 
harbour  in  search  of  the  piratical  vessels  and  for  the  scene 
of  attack,  than  a  report  began  to  spread,  traceable  however 
to  no  authentic  source,  that  His  Imperial  Majesty's  Ship 
"  Kienchang  "  from  Yokohama  bound  for  Shanghai  via 
Nagasaki,  and  carrying  a  general  mail,  had  also  been 
fired  into  in  the  same  pass.  This  report,  on  the  arrival 
of  the  Hellespont  proved  to  have  been  well  founded, 
for  she  brought  intelligence  that  the  Kienchang  arrived 
in  Nagasaki  on  the  10th,  reporting  that  on  the  previous 
day,  when  passing  through  the  Western  entrance  of  the 
Inland  (or  Suwonada)  sea,  she  was  fired  into  by  Japanese 
vessels,  and  by  the  forts  on  the  Northern  side,  i.e.  in  the 
province  of  Nagato,  commonly  called  Choshiu,  the 
territory  of  MATZ-DAIRADAIZEN-NO-DAIBU,  Jiu-sii-no-Chiu- 
jio,  (Mowom).  She  was  reported  to  have  suifered  con- 
siderable damage,  which,  however,  fortunately  does  not 
prove  to  be  the  case. 

"The  "  Hellespont  "reporting  that  H.N.M.'s  "Medusa" 
had  left  Nagasaki  on  the  9th  bound  for  this  by  the  Inland 
sea  route,  her  arrival  was  looked  for  with  some  anxiety. 
On  coming  into  port  it  soon  became  known  that 
she  too  had  been  made  to  run  the  gauntlet  of  a 
heavy  fire  in  the  same  passage.  Every  minute  item  of 
the  details  of  present  occurrences  must  be  interesting 
and  may  have  its  use,  we  therefore  give  the  account  of 
this  affair  as  furnished  by  the  Netherlands  Consul- 
general,  D.  DE  GRAEFF  VON  POLESBROEK,  Esq.,  who  was  a 
passenger  on  board,  without  curtailment : — 

"  With  a  view  to  avoid  the  inaccuracies  generally 
attendant  upon  reports  of  active  hostilities,  I  have  the 
honor  to  acquaint  your  Excellencies  with  the  particulars 
of  the  encounter  which  the  Netherlands  steam  Corvette 
Medusa  was  compelled  to  sustain  with  the  batteries 
and  two  Japanese  ships  in  passing  through  the  Straits  of 
Shimonoseki,  the  Western  entrance  to  the  Interior  Sea, 

VOL.  i  z 


210  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

"  Having  left  the  Bay  of  Nagasaki  on  the  9th  July  we 
met,  near  the  entrance,  the  French  ship  Kienchang, 
on  Mail  service  under  command  of  Capt.  LAFONT,  who 
had  the  kindness  to  come  on  hoard  us  with  our  despatches, 
giving  also  his  report  for  the  Admiral  commanding  the 
Naval  division  in  China.  He  informed  us  that  the 
hatteries  in  the  straits -of  Shimonoseki  and  two  European 
built  ships  having  the  Japanese  flag  had  the  audacity  to 
open  lire  against  his  steamer  upon  which  was  hoisted  the 
French  flag. 

"  The  commander  of  the  Medusa,  before  leaving  Naga- 
saki, having  decided  to  proceed  to  Yokohama  by  the 
Inland  sea,  had  taken  a  Japanese  pilot  from  the  Governor 
of  Nagasaki,  and  he  started  immediately  with  all  sails 
and  steam  in  the  direction  of  the  Straits,  where  we 
arrived  on  the  llth  July  at  seven  o'clock  in  the  morning. 
When  we  came  in  sight  two  cannon  shot  were  fired  from 
a  batteiy  and  afterwards  eight  others  from  a  brig  of  war. 

"  As  we  were  not  aware  of  any  damage  being  done  by 
the  balls  we  believed  that  the  cannon-shot  was  the  signal 
between  the  Japanese  for  the  arrival  of  any  foreign  ship. 
But  all  on  board  the  Medusa  was  prepared  for  a  combat, 
and  the  batteries  on  both  sides  were  charged  and  manned, 
in  readiness  to  fire  when  the  first  balls  of  the  enemy 
should  be  directed  towards  us. 

"  The  greatest  silence  reigned  on  board,  and  no  one 
believed  that  the  Japanese  would  have  the  audacity  to 
commit  the  least  hostilities,  when  suddenly  a  battery  of 
eight  guns  and  those  of  two  ships  anchored  before 
the  town,  having  a  flag  blue  and  white  (that  of  the 
Prince  of  Nagato)  at  her  fore-royal-mast  head,  but  no 
flag  at  the  peak,  opened  fire  of  shell  and  ball  of  which 
the  direction  was  fortunately  a  little  too  high,  or  we 
should  have  had  a  perfect  rain  of  iron.  At  this  time  we 
had  arrived  into  the  cross  fire  of  all  their  land  batteries. 

"All  our  pieces  on  the  port  side  answered  immediately, 
and  owing  to  the  short  distance  (only  two  or  three  cables 
at  most),  all  the  balls  and  shells  carried  admi- 
rably on  the  great  land  battery,  and  two  of  our  balls 
made  considerable  damage  on  the  battery  of  one  of  the 
ships. 

"The  order  was  given  to  advance  as  gently  as  possible, 
in  order  to  have  time  to  work  the  pieces  wefi,  and  as  the 


THE  DUTCH  CORVETTE   MEDUSA   FIRED  UPON.  211 

starboard  gave  no  work,  every  one  was  employed  at  the 
guns  at  the  port  side  continuing  the  fire  by  sections  of 
two  together ;  a  fourth  battery  soon  joined  its  thunder  to 
that  of  the  three  others.  To  our  great  regret  the 
Medusa  could  not  approach  sufficiently  near  the 
ships  to  sink  them,  or  to  take  them  by  the  board,  there 
being  a  bank  of  sand  between  them  and  us,  and  the  water 
being  shallow.  Exposed  to  so  sharp  a  cross  fire  from  four 
batteries,  the  Medusa  was  hulled  by  their  shots, 
and  received  two  shells  which  burst  after  having 
passed  by  the  first  board.  The  Commandant,  seeing 
three  men  fall  with  one  shot,  horribly  mutilated,  and 
fearing  fire  caused  by  the  shells,  had  to  employ  many 
men  to  extinguish  the  fire  which  had  already  ignited  the 
bulwarks  and  the  engine  room.  The  fire  of  the  enemy 
from  their  great  battery  abated  a  little,  which  raised  the 
spirits  of  our  men,  of  whom  four  had  now  fallen  mortally 
wounded. 

"  The  fire  from  the  ships  slackening,  we  could  now  see 
that  our  balls  had  seriously  damaged  their  pieces.  The 
Medusa  advanced  slowly,  firing  shells  and  ball,  and 
was,  as  she  advanced  through  the  Straits,  exposed  suc- 
cessively, to  five  other  batteries  of  pieces  of  large 
calibre,  the  correct  firing  of  which  caused  the  Com- 
mandant to  fear  for  the  boilers  and  machinery, 
Avithout  speaking  of  the  danger  of  the  rudder  being 
damaged,  in  which  case  the  corvette  must  have  been 
sank  in  a  passage  so  narrow  and  difficult.  God  saved  us 
from  this  imminent  danger;  and  passing  the  ninth 
battery,  which  like  the  others  was  concealed  behind  the 
trees  or  protected  by  the  rocks,  we  came  into  the  Inland 
sea,  having  passed  one  hour  and  a  half  in  passing  the 
Straits  where  we  had  to  support  a  continual  fire  of  balls 
and  shells. 

"It  is  wonderful  that  we  lost  four  men  only,  and  five 
wounded,  of  whom  two  are  still  in  a  dangerous  condition, 
being  wounded  by  some  pieces  of  shell  in  the  head. 
Above  all  when  we  consider  the  height  of  the  ship  out  of 
the  water  and  the  little  damage  done  by  the  enemy  to  the 
hull  it  looks  like  a  miracle.  Of  the  21  shots  which  struck 
the  Medusa,  17  were  balls  of  24  and  shells  of  16  c. 
passed  by  the  one  board  ;  of  these  projectiles  three  had 
exploded — one  in  the  battery,  another  in  the  engineers' 


212 


YOUNG  JAPAN. 


room,  a  third  on  the  deck,  whilst  the  others  passed 
through  the  long-boat,  the  cutter,  the  funnel  and  many 
other  places  on  deck,  where  I  was  nearly  killed  myself  by 
the  same  ball  that  killed  a  chief  gunner ;  and  at  the  same 
time  the  Commandant  and  a  midshipman  were  slightly 
wounded  by  splinters.  All  the  officers  in  the  batteries 
and  on  the  deck  at  their,  respective  places  directed  the 
lire  with  perfect  calmness,  and  considering  that  for  the 
most  part  the  seamen  were  for  the  first  time  called  upon 
to  vindicate  the  honor  of  their  flag  under  so  many  chances 
of  death,  and  they  continued  the  fire  so  briskly,  notwith- 
standing that  they  were  obliged  to  change  the  direction  of 
the  guns  at  every  moment,  we  cannot  refuse  to  them  a 
well  deserved  admiration,  or  to  acknowledge  the  excellent 
discipline  on  board  this  ship." 

All  who  read  this  account  and  are  acquainted  with 
the  scene  of  action,  or  who  only  even  identify  it  upon  the 
charts,  will  be  ready  to  add,  to  the  Netherlands  Consul- 
general's  well  deserved  meed  of  praise  to  the  seamen, 
acknowledgements  of  the  intrepidity  of  the  Commander 
of  the  Medusa  in  facing  the  threatened  assault  in  des- 
pite the  notice  he  had  received  from  the  Commander  of 
the  "  Kienchang  "  of  the  reception  he  might  expect  to 
meet  with.  He  worthily  vindicated  the  honour  of  his  flag, 
gallantly,  unswervingly,  pursuing  his  intended  route,  sim- 
ply reducing  his  speed  to  the  slowest  possible  progression, 
in  order  to  have  a  better  chance  to  return  the  compliment 
of  his  assailants,  who  seem,  (to  use  Mr.  POLESBEOEK'S 
expression)  to  have  rained  "  a  perfect  shower  of  iron" 
about  his  ears. 

But  I  do  not  think  that,  looking  at  all  the  circum- 
stances of  the  case,  opinions  will  be  unanimous,  in 
respect  of  the  right  of  any  foreign  vessel  to  pass  through 
the  straits  ;  or  as  to  the  propriety  of  the  Medusa  disregard- 
ing the  warning  of  the  Kienchang,  and  courting  a  danger, 
about  which  there  could  be  no  uncertainty. 

The  Medusa    brought    particulars  of   the   affair    of 


THE  FRENCH  DISPATCH  BOAT  KIENCHANG  FIRED  UPON.     213 

the  Kienchang  somewhat  fuller  than  those  reported 
above.  It  appears  that  on  the  morning  of  the  8th, 
as  early  as  about  four  o'clock,  two  officers  went  on 
board,  professedly  to  make  enquiries  as  to  where  the 
ship  was  from,  whither  bound,  &c.,  but  left  without 
making  any  objection  to  her  proceeding,  or  other  remark. 
Two  hours  after,  some  shots  were  fired  from  the  batteries, 
but  as  they  did  not  approach  the  ship  they  were  supposed 
by  those  on  board  only  to  have  been  fired  in  some  target 
practice,  and  did  not  excite  much  attention.  The 
Kienchang  passed  on,  but  as  she  passed  the  second  fort 
a  steady  fire  was  directed  towards  her,  passing  however 
over  the  ship.  The  imperial  French  flag  was  then  flying. 
Captain  LAFONT,  intending  to  send  on  shore  to  ask  what 
was  the  intention  of  this  act,  a  small  boat  was  being 
lowered  for  the  purpose,  but  before  she  was  manned  she 
was  struck  by  a  shot  and  sank.  She  passed  on, 
receiving  the  fire  of  all  the  forts,  and  having  passed 
about  one  fourth  of  the  distance  through  the  channel, 
observed  two  armed  vessels,  a  sailing  corvette  and  a 
brig,  leaving  a  creek  or  small  bay.  They  both  began  to 
attack.  The  brig  before  commencing  to  fire  partly 
hoisted  the  Japanese  Imperial  flag,  but  hauled  it  down 
again  before  it  was  fully  hoisted.  The  corvette,  however, 
hoisted  it  and  kept  it  up  during  the  whole  time  of  the 
assault.  The  Kienchang  was  enabled  to  escape  the  fire  of  a 
great  number  of  the  guns  on  the  northern  side  by  taking 
a  channel  hitherto  unknown  to  European  vessels,  through 
which  she  was  conducted  by  the  native  pilot,  who  had 
fortunately  been  detained,  though  only  by  dint  of 
threats,  on  board. 

And  now  let  us  see  the  steps  taken  by  the  American 
and  French  senior  naval  officers  to  punish  the  insults  to 
their  respective  national  flags.  Thus  is  it  recorded  in 
the  Japan  Herald :— 


214  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

"  As  we  have  said  the  Wyoming  left  here  on  the  morn- 
ing of  the  13th  for  the  scene  of  the  attack  upon  the 
Pembroke.  H.  I.  M.'s  Tancrede  had  steam  up,  and  was 
off  for  the  same  spot  within  a  few  hours  after  the  news 
of  the  Kienchang  affair  reached  here ;  and  Admiral 
JA'TRES  left  on  Thursday  in  the  Semiramis  for  the  same 
port.  So  that  without  speculating  at  length  far  into  the 
future,  for  which  we  have  not  now  either  time,  inclination 
or  space,  we  may  make  pretty  sure  that  even  at  the  time 
we  now  write,  the  daimio  MOWORI  (and  let  us  hope, 
through  him,  some  of  his  haughty  neighbours  and 
compeers),  have  been  taught  that  even  their  very 
strongest  positions  will  not  command  immunity  from 
punishment  for  such  acts, — acts  only  to  be  accounted  for 
by  the  supposition  of  their  complete  ignorance  of  the 
might  of  those  nations  whose  flags  are  thus  insulted  and 
whose  power  is  thus  defied." 

***** 

"  The  Wyoming  arrived  this  morning.  We  compile  the 
following  account  from  information  kindly  supplied  to 
us  by  E.  S.  BENSON,  Esq.,  who  was  a  passenger  in  the 
corvette. 

"  Arriving  at  the  straits  of  Shimonoseki  on  the  16th, 
immediately  on  passing  the  entrance  she  received  the 
fire  of  a  battery  of  three  guns.  The  corvette  had  not 
then  borne  her  flag,  it  was  now  hoisted ;  immediately  an- 
other battery  opened  fire,  three  vessels,  viz.  a  steamer, 
(the  Lancefield),  a  barque  (which  we  suppose  to  be  the 
Armistice),  and  a  brig  (the  Lanrick)  all  flying  the 
Japanese  flag  at  the  peak  and  MOWOBI'S  at  the  main, 
came  in  sight,  tying  close  under  the  northern  shore. 
The  corvette  passed  between  the  vessels,  the  barque  and 
brig  on  the  one  side,  that  next  to  the  forts,  and  the 
steamer  on  the  outside  ;  the  batteries  on  the  north  side 
were  all  in  full  play.  The  barque  opened  fire  with 
three  broadsides  of  821bs.,  which  was  promptly  acknow- 
ledged by  the  American,  which  then  passed  on  and 
received  the  fire  of  the  brig's  321bs.  within  fifty  yards 
range.  She  then  passed  the  steamer  at  about  30  yards, 
from  which  she  received  the  fire  of  two  small  guns, 
which  she  returned  with  two  131bs.  The  corvette  then 
kept  over  towards  the  south  shore.  The  Japanese  steamer 
by  this  time  had  got  up  steam,  and  ran  over  to  the 


THE  FEENCH  RETALIATION  ON  CHOBHIU.  215 

i 

northern  side  close  under  the  forts.  During  all  this 
time  the  corvette  was  sustaining  the  fire  of  six  batteries 
of  8  or  4  guns  each,  and  also  of  the  brig  and  barque. 

"  The  corvette  then  manoeuvred  into  position,  and 
began  her  work  in  earnest.  Her  fine  guns  seem  to  have 
been  admirably  worked,  to  have  silenced  considerable 
numbers  of  the  shore  guns,  whilst  a  10-inch  shell  well 
pitched  at  the  Lancefield,  struck  her  amidships  about 
two  feet  above  water  line  :  from  the  volumes  of  steam 
and  smoke  which  were  seen  to  follow  it  was  not  doubted 
that  it  had  exploded  her  boilers. 

''The  corvette  added  two  or  three  more  shells  to  this 
and  left  her  apparently  effectually  destroyed.  The  brig, 
too,  appeared  to  be  much  riddled,  and  to  be  already  set- 
tling by  the  stern. 

"  The  corvette  came  out  close  to  the  batteries,  receiving 
their  fire  throughout,  which,  however,  appeared  to  be 
considerably  slackened. 

"  The  corvette's  casualties  are — four  killed  ;  and  seven 
wounded,  one  since  dead.  She  received  eleven  shots  in 
her  hull. 

"  The  engagement  lasted  one  hour  and  ten  minutes." 

The  account  of  the  proceedings  of  the  French,  which 
I  also  take  from  the  newspaper,  was  furnished  by  Mr. 
BLEKSMAN,  Dutch  interpreter  to  the  French  legation,  who 
was  on  board  the  Semiramis  officially. 

"I  am  authorised  by  Admiral  JAURES,  Commander-in- 
Chief  of  the  French  Forces  in  China  and  Japan,  to  com- 
municate to  you  the  following  account  of  the  proceedings 
of  H.  I.  M.'s  Semiramis  and  Tancrede,  and  my 
own  experiences  in  the  recent  retaliatory  visit  of  those 
f  hips  to  the  Straits  of  Shimonoseki. 

"  We  left  Yokohama  on  the  morning  of  the  16th,  and 
arrived  in  the  Bungo  entrance  to  the  Inland  sea  on  the 
morning  of  Sunday  the  19th.  We  anchored  in  the 
channel  and  prepared  for  action.  Early  on  the  morning 
of  Monday  we  ran  under  slow  steam  into  the  entrance  of 
the  Shimonoseki  Channel,  looking  out  for  the  batteries. 
When  about  two  miles  from  the  Nagato  side  of  the 
Channel  we  saw  the  flashes  and  smoke  of  two  guns  fired 
from  the  midst  of  the  trees,  and  soon  after  made  out  Ko- 
fu,  the  castle  of  SAKI-NO-SKE,  a  member  of  MATSUDAIIIA 


216  70UNG  JAPAN. 

DAIZEN-NO-DAIBU'S  family,  and  proceeding  a  little  further 
on,  on  the  same  i.e.  northern  or  Nagato  side,  a  battery 
of  live  25  Ib.  guns.  The  Admiral  decided  upon  the  de- 
struction of  this  battery,  and  not  of  the  castle.  We  then 
came  to  anchor  about  three  quarters  of  a  mile  from  the 
battery  near  the  village  of  Tanoura,  in  the  Province  of 
Bouzen.  When  anchored  it  was  found  that  the  current  put 
us  stern  on  to  the  battery  ;  about  half  an  hour  was  spent 
in  putting  springs  on  our  cable,  and  a  hawser  to  a 
Japanese  junk  moored  at  some  distance  from  us.  During 
all  this  time  the  Japanese  gunners  remained  at  their 
guns,  not  even  pointing  them  at  us ;  had  they  done  so 
they  might  have  raked  us  fore  and  aft ;  we  therefore 
thought  that  the  guns  were!fixed  in  the  one  position,  viz., 
pointed  up  the  narrowest  part  of  the  channel,  but  when 
we  took  the  battery  we  found  this  not  to  be  the  case, 
the  guns  being  perfectly  mounted  on  good  European 
fashioned  carriages.  When  broadside  on,  the  frigate 
fired  a  601b.  rifle  ball  which  went  right  over  the  battery  : 
the  second  carried  right  into  the  middle  of  the  parapet, 
and  sent  earthwork  and  stones,  turf  and  sand-bags  flying 
around  in  every  direction.  Still  no  answer  was  returned 
by  the  Japanese.  We  continued  the  bombardment  till 
nearly  eleven  o'clock,  sending  in  the  shells  every  five 
minutes  and  making  beautiful  practice.  I  was  then  sent 
on  shore  in  company  with  Mons.  I/ABBE  GIRABD  to  the 
town  of  Tanoura,  to  distribute  the  proclamation  of 
Admiral  JAURES,  to  the  effect  that  the  country  people 
had  nothing  to  fear  on  that  side,  that  he  had  come  only 
to  punish  the  Prince  of  Nangato  for  having  fired  into  a 
vessel  under  the  French  flag,  and  inviting  them  to  send 
provisions  on  board  against  payment. 

"We  found  our  way  to  the  house  of  the  Mayor  without 
difficulty,  not  being  molested  in  any  way  by  the  people, 
who  crowded  round  us  in  great  numbers,  and  we  were 
received  by  this  official  with  all  honors  and  politeness  ;  he 
thanked  us  for  the  proclamation,  and  in  our  presence 
sent  it  by  a  messenger  to  the  Prince  of  BOUZKN.  During 
this  trip  on  shore  I  had  heard  both  the  frigate  and  the 
Tancrede  recommence  their  fire  and  on  going  on  board  I 
learned  that  the  Admiral  had  ordered  the  Tancrede  to 
run  in  towards  Shimonoseki,  and  that  when  she  came 
into  the  narrowest  part  of  the  passage  the  battery  opened 


THE  FRENCH  RETRIBUTION.  217 

fire  upon  her;  our  guns,  however,  soon  silenced  the 
battery.  -I  saw  one  gun  toppled  over  by  a  shell,  and  two 
or  three  Japanese  gunners  fly  into  the  air.  The  Tancrede 
was  hit  in  three  places,  one  shot  went  into  her  hull,  one 
into  the  mizen  top-mast,  and  one  cut  away  the  fore-top 
mast,  which  only  stood  there  by  the  stays.  At  noon, 
after  the  men's  dinner,  the  Admiral  ordered  a  landing, 
and  I  had  the  good  luck  to  be  ordered  to  accompany 
Captain  DUQUILLIOT,  the  commander  of  the  troops.  We 
landed  in  all  250  men — 180  sailors  and  70  Chasseurs  of 
the  3rd  battaillon  d'Afrique. 

On  nearing  the  shore  to  the  right  of  the  battery, 
protected  from  her  by  a  projecting  bluff,  the  boat's  rifled 
gun  sent  a  few  shells  into  the  bushes  as  a  precaution, 
but  nobody  stirred.  We  landed  in  good  order,  and  made  in 
three  divisions  for  the  battery.  After  we  had  well  entered 
into  the  bushes  we  were  attacked  by  the  Japanese  in 
several  isolated  troops  of  three  or  four,  some  with  rifles, 
some  with  swords,  but  most  with  old  Brown  Bess,  of 
Dutch  manufacture.  These  lay  concealed,  aiming  at  us 
as  we  approached.  They  were  immediately  charged  and 
bayoneted.  Some  few  made  a  stand,  but  generally  they 
took  to  immediate  flight.  I  think  there  must  have  been 
about  twenty  killed  this  way.  Passing  through  this 
brushwood  we  came  upon  the  battery.  It  was  quite 
deserted  ;  the  parapet  was  all  ploughed  up  by  our  shells  ; 
one  gun  lay  upset ;  another  had  its  truncheons  knocked 
off  and  pools  of  blood  in  all  directions.  The  dead  had 
all  been  carried  away.  In  a  hollow  road  behind  the 
battery  we  found  some  clothes  soaked  with  blood  and 
some  accoutrements.  The  guns  having  been  spiked, 
the  commandant  ordered  brushwood,  mats,  and  all 
other  inflammable  materials  to  be  placed  under  the 
gun-carriages,  which  was  then  fired.  The  powder 
magazine  was  found  outside  the  battery,  in  a  very  safe 
position  in  a  hollow  road;  the  powder  and  all  the 
ammunition  was  thrown  into  the  sea.  While  this  was 
going  on  in  the  battery,  Mr.  LAYRLE,  Chef  d'Etat  Major 
of  Admiral  JAURES,  advanced  by  the  right  of  the  battery 
(keeping  up  a  continual  fire  with  Japanese  hid  in  the 
bushes),  to  a  village  called  Aidaga-mome,  which  was 
abandoned  by  the  peasants  and  evidently  used  as 
dwelling-places  for  the  troops  belonging  to  the  batteries. 

VOL.   II  A 


218  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

In  the  middle  of  this  town  there  was  a  large  building  a 
little  way  up  the  hill,  half  temple  half  palace,  in 
which  there  was  found  a  great  deal  of  powder  and 
ammunition.  Having  been  fired  by  us,  it  blew  up  with  a 
tremendous  noise  just  as  we  were  re-embarking. 

On  entering  the  battery  I  went  at  once  to  the 
principal  building  where  I  found  a  good  quantity  of 
Japanese  armour  and  arms,  but  no  one  in  the  house.  In 
looking  about  I  found  several  Japanese  translations  of 
Dutch  books  on  fortification  and  gunnery,  one  of  which 
I  have  now  in  my  possession,  marked  at  the 
page  where  it  treats  of  attacking  ships  that  are  carried 
away  by  the  current. 

Having  thus  accomplished  our  object — destroyed  the 
battery  and  guns,  and  also  burned  the  village,  (the 
quarters  of  the  soldiers),  we  re-embarked.  I  must  not 
forget  to  mention  that  during  the  re-embarcation  the 
frigate,  the  Tancrede  and  the  boat's  guns  opened  a  heavy 
fire  on  some  spot  to  the  right  of  us,  but  hidden  by  the 
bushes.  On  going  on  board  I  learned  that  they  had 
seen  about  2,000  men,  regular  infantry,  some  men  on 
horseback  and  even  field  artillery,  coming  down  upon  us 
from  Shimonoseki  by  the  road  along  the  shore  ;  they 
fired  a  few  shell  amongst  them,  which,  exploding  in  their 
midst,  did  them  considerable  damage  and  they  speedily 
retreated.  We  had  in  all  three  men  wounded  belonging 
the  Chasseurs,  two  by  musket  balls  and  one  by  a  stab  of 
a  dagger  of  a  Japanese  who  was  lying  v*Tounded  on  the 
ground,  and  stabbed  him  as  he  passed  by. 

It  is  difficult  to  arrive  at  any  estimate  of  the  casualties 
of  the  Japanese,  but  there  was  abundant  testimony  in 
the  batteries  that  their  loss  there  must  have  been  very 
considerable  :  besides  that  which  the  shell  practice,  at  a 
range  of  3,000  yards  did  upon  their  advanced  column. 
I  remain,  Dear  Sir,  &c.,  &c. 

F.  BLEKMAN, 
Interpreter  attached  to  French  Admiral. 

It  will  be  seen  that  the  prince  of  Choshiu  had  two 
vessels  in  port  and  engaged  in  these  attacks.  Altoge- 
ther the  Japanese  Government  and  daimios — had  be- 
come possessed,  up  to  this  time,  of  five  men-of-war,  two  of 
which  were  royal  presents ;  and  thirteen  screw  steamers, 


FOREIGN-BUILT  SHIPS  NOW  OWNED  BY  JAPANESE.  219 

six  paddle  steamers,  two  barques,  two  brigs,  and  two 
schooners — giving  a  total  of  thirty  vessels,  for  which 
they  had  paid  $2,357,800. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

FIRE  IN  THE  OSHIRO,  YEDO,  AND  DESTRUCTION  OF  THE 
TYCOON'S  PALACE. — THE  TYCOON  RETURNS  TO  YEDO  BY  SEA. — 
UNPLEASANT  EPISODE  AT  KANASAWA. — CHARGE  BROUGHT  IN 
THE  ENGLISH  CONSULAR  COURT  AND  DISMISSED. — CHANGES 
AMONG  FOREIGN  OFFICIALS. — THE  YOKOHAMA  CONTRIBUTION  TO 

THE  LANCASHIRE  COTTON  FAMINE  RELIEF  FUND. — ESTABLISH- 
MENT OF  BANKS  IN  YOKOHAMA. — THE  CLOSE  OF  THE  SATSUMA 
EPISODE — ADMIRAL  KUPER  TO  PROCEED  TO  KAGOSHIMA. — THE 
GOROJIU  NOW  URGE  THAT  NO  FURTHER  DELAY  SHOULD  TAKE 
PLACE. — DEPARTURE  OF  SQUADRON. — THE  BATTLE  OF  KAGO- 
SHIMA.— THE  PROCEEDINGS  OF  THE  BRITISH  ADMIRAL  MIS- 
UNDERSTOOD BY  SATSUMA. — EFFECT  OF  THE  BATTLE  ON  THE 
CLAN. — PAYMENT  OF  ALL  THE  DEMANDS  OF  THE  BRITISH 
GOVERNMENT,  AND  CLOSE  OF  THE  RICHARDSON  EPISODE. — 
LIEUT-COLONEL  NEALE's  SERVICES  REWARDED  BY  THE  QUEEN, 
AND  ACKNOWLEDGED  BY  THE  PUBLIC. 

ON  the  18th  July  news  reached  Yokohama  of  a  great 
conflagration  within  the  0-shiro,  Yedo,  by  which  the 
Tycoon's  palace,  the  yashilds  of  three  daimios  and 
a  great  many  residences  of  hatamotos  and  shops  of  mer- 
chant's were  consumed.  Although  this  was  spoken  of  as 
an  additional  outrage  of  the  unruly,  it  may  or  may  not 


AFFRAY  AT  KANASAWA.  221 

have  been  so.  It  had  its  origin  in  an  empty  house  at  a 
distance  from  the  palace  ;  but  the  wind  was  very  strong, 
and  the  flames  spread  with  a  rapidity  such  as  can  only 
be  witnessed  in  Japan. 

On  the  last  day  of  July  the  Tycoon  returned  to  Yedo, 
arriving  by  sea  in  the  Jinkee  accompanied  by  three 
other  steamers. 

And  now  the  great  climax  was  to  be  put  on  the 
Satsuma  episode.  Yet  on  the  very  eve  of  the  departure 
of  the  British  fleet  for  that  purpose,  another  unpleasant- 
ness, fortunately  unattended  with  any  fatal  result, 
occurred  to  engage  popular  interest. 

Three  gentlemen,  Mr.  G.  B.  DAVIES  (representative  of 
Messrs.  W.  B.  ADAMSON  &  Co.),  his  brother  and  Mr. 
TATHAM,  were,  with  other  gentlemen,  on  an  excursion  to 
Kanasawa,  a  very  favourite  jaunt,  just  nine  miles  from 
Yokohama,  and  on  the  road  to  Kamakura  and  DAIBUTSZ', 
and  were  about  to  return  on  horseback  to  the  settlement. 
Their  companions  were  going  back  to  Yokohama  in  a 
boat,  and  the  equestrians  were  handing  over  their 
heavier  habiliments  for  conveyance  in  the  boat,  traversing 
for  this  purpose  a  public  jetty.  As  they  were  returning 
to  the  roadway,  a  two-sworded  man  using  some  rough, 
offensive  language,  one  of  the  party  quietly  asked  him 
"What's  the  matter?"  when  the  man  drew  his  sword 
and  made  a  rush  at  him.  The  Englishmen  essayed  to 
pass,  but  the  jetty  was  narrow,  and  some  stumps  of 
trees  being  in  the  way,  the  man  commanded  the  position. 
Seeing  the  desperate  nature  of  the  case,  one  of  them 
drew  his  revolver  and  pulled  the  trigger ;  but  it  missed 
fire.  Mr.  G.  B.  DAVIES,  seeing  the  life  of  his  brother  in 
danger,  then  fired  his  revolver  at  the  same  time  as  a 
second  shot  from  the  first  pistol  was  heard,  and  the  man 
bolted.  Directly  the  gentlemen  arrived  in  Yokohama 
they  laid  a  complaint  before  the  British  Consul.  Subse- 


222  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

quently  the  man,  who,  it  appears,  was  slightly  wounded, 
brought  a  charge  against  the  Englishmen — but  it  was 
clearly  shown  that  he  was  the  assailant,  and  that  they 
acted  only  in  self-defence  ;  so  the  case  was  dismissed. 

I  ought  before  this  to  have  noticed  the  changes  in  the 
various  Consulates.  I  will  mention  them  here,  and  then 
proceed. 

Captain  F.  HOWAED  VYSE  had  been  removed  to 
Hakodate,  and  Dr.  C.  A.  WINCHESTER  (on  the  1st  April) 
took  up  his  post  as  Consul  at  Kanagawa. 

Colonel  NEALE,  having  regard  to  the  increasing  busi- 
ness of  H.  B.  M.'s  Consulate,  appointed  Mr.  M.  0. 
FLOWERS  Acting  Vice-Consul  pending  the  approval  of 
the  Foreign  Office. 

Mr.  MORRISON,  who  had  been  wounded  in  the  first 
attack  on  the  British  legation,  and  had  been  home  on 
leave,  returned  to  his  duties  at  Nagasaki. 

Mr.  VON  BRANDT,  (now  H.  I.  G.M.'s  Minister  at  Peking), 
who  was  formerly  attached  to  the  Prussian  Embassy 
that  concluded  the  treaties  with  China,  Japan  and  Siam, 
in  1860-2,  took  charge  of  the  Prussian  Consulate ;  and 
Mr.  D.  DE  GRAEFF  VON  POLSBROEK,  who  had  resided  in 
Yokohama  as  Netherlands  Consul,  was  appointed  Acting 
Consul-general. 

This  was  the  time  when  England  was  suffering  in  her 
Lancashire  factories  by  reason  of  the  cotton  famine, 
the  effect  of  the  civil  war  in  America.  Yokohama  con- 
tributed $2,160  towards  the  relief  fund,  which  was 
remitted  home  by  H.  B.  M.'s  Consul  in  a  draft  for  £558 ; 
a  sum,  which  considering  the  extent  of  the  population, 
compared  more  than  favourably  with  the  contributions 
of  all  other  ports  in  the  far  East. 

On  the  7th  March  the  first  announcement  was  made  of 
the  establishment  of  a  foreign  bank  in  Japan.  In  the 


ENGLISH  SQUADRON  SAILS  FOB  KAGOSHIMA.      228 

S.S.  Leemin,  Mr.  CHARLES  RICKEEBY  arrived  as  Acting 
Agent  of  a  Branch  of  the  Central  Bank  of  Western  India, 
a  company  having  its  head  office  in  Bombay. 

Early  in  the  following  month  a  gentleman  was  sent 
from  Shanghai  for  the  Chartered  Mercantile  Bank ;  and 
for  some  years  the  Branch  in  Yokohama  was  among  the 
most  flourishing  that  bank  had.  It  is  much  to  be 
regretted  that  times  have  so  far  changed  that  last  year, 
(1879),  the  directors  found  it  necessary  to  close  this 
Branch. 

And  now,  after  many  delays,  occasioned  by  the  appeals 
and  excuses  of  the  Government,  Wednesday  the  5th 
August  was  appointed  as  the  day  on  which  Admiral 
KUPER  should  proceed  to  Kagosima  to  have  a  settlement 
with  Satsuma. 

On  the  day  previous  to  that,  however,  as  a  result  of 
frequent  meetings  of  the  Tycoon,  the  Gorojiu  and  several 
important  daimios,  one  of  the  Ministers  came  to  Yokohama 
and  had  an  interview  with  Colonel  NEALE,  and,  no  longer 
urging  delay,  on  the  contrary,  proposed  that  the  squadron 
should  start  at  once,  promising  that,  in  consonance  with 
Colonel  NEALE'S  suggestion,  a  high  official  should  be 
sent  to  accompany  the  expedition,  on  board  of  a  Japanese 
steamer.  This  promise  was  not  fulfilled.  On  the  6th 
of  August  the  squadron,  consisting  of  H.  M.'s  ships 
Euryalus  (35),  Pearl  (21),  Argus  (6),  Havoc  (2),  Coquette 
(4),  Racehorse  (4)  and  Perseus  (17),  having  on  board  the 
British  Charge  d' Affaires  and  most  of  the  members  of  the 
English  Legation,  weighed  anchor,  and  shaped  a  course 
for  Kagosima,  which  port  was  entered  on  the  llth.  The 
bay  is  described  as  forming,  a  splendid  harbour,  sur- 
rounded by  lofty  and  picturesque  scenery;  and  by  its 
defenders,  at  least,  its  defences  were  supposed  to  be 
impregnable,  The  city  was  said  to  contain  180,000 


224  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

inhabitants,  and  its  factories,  warehouses  and  commer- 
cial buildings  were  on  an  extensive  scale. 

On  the  12th  the  fleet  moved  up,  and  anchored  opposite 
the  town,  in  20  fathom  water,  about  1,200  yards  from 
the  batteries,  which  extend  along  the  whole  of  the  town 
front — say  about  two  miles  from  the  extreme  south. 

At  6  a.m.  several  of  SATSUMA'S  high  officers  went  on 
board  the  flag-ship.  It  was  observed  by  many  that 
their  demeanour  was  far  from  of  that  courteous  and  con- 
ciliatory kind  we  are  accustomed  to ;  indeed  that  there 
was  an  amount  of  swaggering  and  bullying  about  their 
manner.  They  said  that  SATSUMA  was  not  now  at  Kago- 
shima,  but  at  Kirishimi,  a  city  20  ri  off.  They  received, 
however,  the  letter  of  demands,  which  was  as  follows : — 

"  To  His  HighnessMKiswAiRA.  SHIURI-NO-DAIBU,  the  daimio 
prince  of  Satsuma,  or  in  his  absence  to  the  regent  or  other 
High  Officer  for  the  time  being  administering  the  Govern- 
ment of  the  prince  of  Satsuma,  Fiuga,  Ohosumi,  and  the 
Loo  Choo  Islands. 

H.  B.  M.'s  Legation  in  Japan, 

August  12th  1863. 
"Your  Highness, 

'  It  is  well  known  to  you  that  a  barbarous  murder  of  an 
unarmed  and  unoffending  British  subject  and  Merchant 
was  perpetrated  on  the  14th  of  the  month  of  September 
last,  21st  day  of  8th  month  of  2nd  year  of  Bung-kew  of 
Japanese  reckoning,  upon  the  Tokaido  near  Kanagawa, 
by  persons  attending  the  procession  and  surrounding  the 
norirnon  of  SHIMADZU  SABUBO,  whom  I  am  informed  is 
the  father  of  your  Highness. 

'  It  is  equally  known  to  you  that  a  murderous  assault 
was  made  at  the  same  time  by  the  same  retinue,  upon  a 
lady  and  two  other  gentlemen,  British  subjects,  by  whom 
he  was  accompanied,  the  two  gentlemen  having  been 
severely  and  seriously  wounded,  and  the  lady  escaping  by 
a  miracle. 

'  The  names  of  the  British  subjects  here  referred  to  are 
as  follows : — 

CHARLES  LENOX  EICHABDSON,  murdered. 


COLONEL  NEALF/S  DEMANDS  ON  SATSUMA.  225 

MI'S.  BORRODAILE. 

Mr.  WILLIAM  CLARKE,  severely  wounded. 

Mr.  WILLIAM  MARSHALL,  severely  wounded. 

'  This  event  filled  with  great  and  just  indignation  the 
British  Government  and  people,  and  excited  the  sympathy 
of,  and  produced  a  painful  impression  upon,  all  civilized 
countries. 

'Impressed  with  friendly  and  considerate  feelings 
towards  the  Government  of  the  Tycoon,  with  whom  the 
Queen  of  Great  Britain,  my  august  Sovereign,  is  in  re- 
lations by  treaty  of  peace  and  amity,  I  acted  with  proper 
consideration  for  the  Tycoon's  Government  by  leaving  in 
its  hands  the  legitimate  means  of  speedity  arresting  and 
bringing  to  capital  punishment  the  murderers  from 
among  SHIMADZU  SABURO'S  retinue. 

'This  necessary  forbearance  on  my  part  has  been 
entirely  approved  of  by  my  Government,  and  appreciated 
and  acknowledged  by  the  Government  of  the  Tycoon. 

'  A  different  course  proposed  at  the  moment  to  be 
adopted  in  the  excitement  attending  this  barbarous 
outrage  might  have  resulted  in  the  capture  and  perhaps 
death  by  summary  retribution  of  SHIMADZU  SABURO  him- 
self. 

'  Ten  months  have  now  elapsed  since  the  perpetration 
of  this  unprovoked  outrage,  during  which  period  my 
Government  has  been  duly  informed  by  me  of  the 
circumstances  attending  it,*  while  the  Tycoon's  Ministers 
have  held  out  to  me  from  time  to  time  assurances  and 
hopes  that  the  murderers  would  be  given  up  by  your 
Highness  and  sent  to  Yedo  for  trial  and  execution. 

'  But  I  have  had  occasion  to  report  to  my  Government 
that,  removed  in  your  distant  domain  from  the  direct  in- 
fluence of  the  supreme  Government,  and  shielded  also  by 
certain  privileges  and  immunities  which  belong  to  daimios 
of  this  Empire,  .you  had  utterly  disregarded  all  orders  or 
decrees  of  the  Japanese  Government,  calling  upon  you 
to  afford  justice  by  sending  the  real  criminals  to  Yedo. 
They  have  not  been  arrested  nor  sent ;  and  no  redress 
has  consequently  been  afforded  by  the  Tycoon's  Govern- 
ment, however  desirous  it  may  be  of  doing  so. 

'  In  the  meanwhile  I  have  received  the  explicit  instruc- 
tions of  my  own  Government  how  to  act  in  the  matter. 

'  The  Tycoon's  Government  may  be  impeded  by  the 

VOL.    I  BE 


226  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

laws  of  the  country,  and  more  especially  by  political 
embarrassments  from  enforcing  its  desires  upon  daimios 
of  the  Empire  in  regard  to  criminal  acts  committed  by 
their  adherents.  But  when  British  subjects  are  the 
victims  of  those  acts,  Japan  as  a  Nation  must  through 
its  Government  pay  a  penalty  and  disavow  the  misdeeds 
of  its  subjects,  to  whatever  rank  they  may  belong. 

'  Under  instructions  from  my  Government  I  demanded 
from  the  Tycoon's  Government  an  apology,  and  the  pay- 
ment of  a  considerable  penalty  for  permitting  the  mur- 
derous attack  made  by  your  retainers  on  British  subjects 
passing  on  a  road  open  to  them  by  treaty.  Both  these 
demands  have  been  acceded  to. 

'But  the  British  Government  has  also  decided  that 
those  circumstances  constitute  no  reason  why  the  real 
delinquents  and  actual  murderers  should  be  shielded  by 
your  Highness,  or  by  any  means  escape  the  condign 
punishment  which  they  merit,  and  which  they  would  be 
subjected  to  for  great  crimes  such  as  they  have  com- 
mitted, in  all  other  parts  of  the  world. 

'  It  has  therefore  been  determined  by  the  Government, 
and  I  am  instructed  to  demand  of  your  Highness  as 
follows  : — 

'  First :  The  immediate  trial  and  capital  execution  in  the 
presence  of  one  or  more  of  Her  Majesty's  Naval  Officers 
of  the  chief  perpetrators  of  the  murder  of  Mr.  RICHARDSON, 
and  of  the  murderous  assault  .of  the  lady  and  gentlemen 
who  accompanied  him. 

'  Secondly :  The  payment  of  twenty-five  thousand 
pounds  (25,000)  sterling  to  be  distributed  to  the  relations 
of  the  murdered  man,  and  to  those  who  escaped  with 
their  lives  the  swords  of  the  assassins  on  that  occasion. 

1  These  demands  are  required  by  Her  Majesty's  Govern- 
ment to  be  acceded  to  by  your  Highness  immediately 
upon  their  being  made  known  to  you.  And  upon  your 
refusing,  neglecting  or  evading  to  do  so,  the  Admiral 
commanding  the  British  Forces  in  these  seas,  will  adopt 
such  coercive  measures,  increasing  in  their  severity,  as 
he  may  deem  expedient  to  obtain  the  required  satisfaction 
and  redress. 

4  The  Commander  of  Her  Majesty's  Ship  of  War  charged 
with  the  delivery  of  this  letter  is  made  acquainted  with 
the  specific  demands  which  I  have  the  honour  to  com- 


PROCEEDINGS  AT  KAGOSHIMA.  227 

municate  to  you  in  this  letter,  and  according  as  they  are 
accepted  or  refused  he  has  received  instructions  either  to 
carry  out  and  witness  their  execution,  within  a  period  of 
days  which  will  he  named,  or  in  the  event  of  a  refusal,  to 
commence  at  once  coercive  operations,  pending  the 
arrival  of  additional  forces. 

'  Your  Highness  is  therefore  earnestly  requested  seri- 
ously to  consider  the  course  you  will  adopt  on  the 
receipt  of  this  communication,  the  terms  of  which  it  is 
not  in  niy  power  to  modify,  alter  or  discuss. 

'  I  avail  myself  of  this  occasion  to  offer  to  your  High- 
ness the  assurance  of  my  respect  and  consideration. 
(Signed)  EDWD.  ST.  JOHN  NEALE 

H.  13.  M.'s  Charge  a?  Affaires 
in  Japan.'' 

"  On  the  following  day  all  was  quiet  on  board  the  fleet, 
Colonel  NEALE  heing  busily  engaged  in  diplomatic  negocia- 
tions  :  his  recently  tested  and  proved  forbearance  had  to 
endure  another  trial ;  the  yakunins  were  constantly 
running  backwards  and  forwards,  always  bringing  with 
them  some  evasive  reply,  and  leaving  without  any 
definite  conclusion. 

"  On  the  afternoon  of  the  13th,  the  allotted  time  having 
long  expired,  an  officer  arrived,  who  said  he  had  brought 
a  letter  of  reply,  but  since  he  had  left  the  shore,  a 
messenger  had  been  sent  after  him  to  recall  it  '  as  there 
was  a  mistake  in  it.'  It  could  not  be  extracted  from 
him,  and  he  left,  saying  another  should  be  sent  im- 
mediately. None  arrived,  until  at  nine  o'clock  that 
night,  when  one  was  sent.  It  was  as  follows  :— 
'  Translation  of  a  Despatch  in  Japanese  from  KAWA  KAMI, 

TAJIMA  Minister  of  HATSUDAIKA  SHIURI-NO-DAIBU,  prince 

of  Satsuma,  dr.,  d'-c.,  d-c. 

'To  COLONEL  E.  ST.  JOHN  NEALE, 

//.  Jl.  M.'s  Charge  (V Affaires, 
iC'c.,  dr.,  dr. 

'  It  is  just  that  a  man  who  has  killed  another  should  be 
arrested  and  punished  by  death,  as  there  is  nothing  more 
sacred  than  human  life.  Although  we  should  like  to 
secure  them  (the  murderers)  as  we  have  endeavored  to 
do  since  last  year,  it  is  impossible  for  us  to  do  so  owing 
to  the  political  differences  at  present  existing  between 


228  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

the  daimios  of  Japan,  some  of  whom  even  hide  and  protect 
such  people.  Besides,  the  murderers  are  not  one  but 
several  persons,  and  therefore  find  easier  means  of 
escape. 

'  The  journey  to  Yedo  (undertaken  by  SIIIMADZU  SABURO) 
was  not  with  the  object  of  committing  murder  but  to 
conciliate  the  two  Courts  of  Yedo  and  Kioto ;  and  you 
will  therefore  easily  believe  that  our  Master  (SHIMADZU) 
could  not  have  ordered  it  (the  murder).  Great  offenders 
against  the  laws  of  their  country  (Japan)  who  escape, 
are  liable  to  capital  punishment.  If  therefore  we  can 
detect  those  in  question,  and  after  examination  find  them 
to  l)e  guilty,  they  shall  be  punished,  and  we  will  then 
inform  the  Commanders  of  your  men-of-war  at  Nagasaki 
or  at  Yokohama,  in  order  that  they  may  come  to  witness 
their  execution.  You  must  therefore  consent  to  the  un- 
avoidable delay,  which  is  necessary  to  carry  out  these 
measures.  If  we  were  to  execute  criminals  condemned 
for  other  offences,  and  told  you  that  they  were  the  of- 
fenders (above  referred  to),  you  would  not  be  able  to 
recognize  them ;  and  this  would  be  deceiving  you  and  not 
acting  in  accordance  with  the  spirit  of  our  ancestors. 

'  The  (Provincial)  Government  of  Japan  are  subordinate 
to  the  Yedo  Government,  and  as  you  are  well  aware,  are 
subservient  to  the  orders  received  from  it. 

'  We  have  heard  something  about  a  treaty  having  been 
negociated,  in  which  a  certain  limit  was  assigned  to 
foreigners  to  move  about  in  :  but  we  have  not  heard  of 
any  stipulation  by  which  they  are  authorised  to  impede 
the  passage  of  a  road. 

'  Supposing  this  happened  in  your  country  travelling 
with  a  large  number  of  retainers  as  we  do  here,  would 
you  not  chastise  (push  out  of  the  way  and  beat)  any  one 
thus  disregarding  and  breaking  the  existing  laws  of  the 
country  ?  If  this  were  neglected,  princes  could  no  longer 
travel.  We  repeat  that  we  agree  with  you  that  the  taking 
of  human  life  is  a  very  grave  matter.  On  the  other 
hand  the  insufficiency  of  the  Yedo  Government,  who 
govern  and  direct  everything,  is  shown  by  their  neglect- 
ing to  insert  in  the  treaty  (with  foreigners)  the  laws  of 
the  country  (in  respect  to  these  matters)  which  have 
existed  from  ancient  times.  You  will  therefore  be  able  to 
judge  yourself  whether  the  Yedo  Government  (for  not  in- 


THE  SATSUMA  REPLY.  229 

serting  these  laws),  or  my  master  (for  carrying  them  out) 
is  to  be  blamed. 

'  To  decide  this  important  matter,  a  high  Official  of  the 
Yedo  Government,  and  one  of  our  Government  ought  to 
discuss  it  before  you,  and  find  out  who  is  in  the  right. 

'  After  the  above  question  has  been  judged  and  settled 
the  money  indemnity  shall  be  arranged. 

'  We  have  not  received  from  the  Tycoon  any  orders  or 
communication  by  steamer  that  your  men-of-war  were 
coming  here.  Such  statements  are  probably  made  with 
the  object  of  representing  us  in  a  bad  light.  If  it  were 
not  this  object  you  would  certainly  have  them  in  writing 
from  the  Gorojiu,  and  if  so  we  request  you  to  let  us  see 
them.  In  consequence  of  such  misstatements  great  mis- 
understandings are  caused. 

'All  this  surprises  us  much.    Does  it  not  surprise  you? 

'  Our  Government  will  act  in  everything  according  to 
the  orders  of  the  Yedo  Government. 

'  This  is  our  open-hearted  reply  to  the  different  subjects 
mentioned  in  your  Despatch. 

29th  of  the  6th  Month  of  the  3rd  year  of  Bunkiu. 

(13th  August  1863.) 
(Signed  KAWA  KAMI  TAJIMA, 

"  Skisse  "  (Minister.) 

"  Still  Colonel  NEALE  was  patient.  On  the  14th,  about 
9  o'clock,  two  officials  went  on  board,  saying  they  had 
been  sent  for  a  receipt  for  the  reply.  They  then  stated 
that  when  at  Kioto,  HITOTSU-BASHI,  (the  Vice  Tycoon) 
and  two  members  of  the  Gorojiu)  had  most  distinctly 
ordered  SHIMADZU  SABURO  that  Satsuma  was  not  to  take 
any  step  in  respect  to  the  murder  of  the  foreigner  by  his 
retainers,  and  that  the  Tycoon's  Government  would 
settle  all  the  matter  themselves.  They  pretended  that 
it  was  believed  that  the  whole  matter  was  settled  at 
Yedo ;  that  they  had  heard  nothing  from  Yedo  on  the 
subject,  and  could  not  at  first  imagine  what  could  have 
brought  the  fleet  to  Satsuma  :  and  asserted  that  accord- 
ing to  Japanese  law  and  custom  Satsuma  had  no  power 
to  settle  the  affair  himself,  either  by  acceding  to  or 
refusing  the  demands  of  the  British. 

"All  hope  of  any  peaceful  settlement  being  crushed, 
deceit  and  subterfuge  appearing  to  be  the  only  aim, 
Colonel  NEALE  now  stepped  aside,  and  the  Admiral  took 


f  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

the  matter  in  hand.  On  the  afternoon  of  the  14th  there 
was  a  general  shifting  of  the  disposition  of  the  fleet,  the 
greater  part  of  which  were  placed  under  the  island,  out 
of  range  of  the  guns  on  the  fort  in  the  middle  of  the 
channel,  say  1,700  yards  on  either  side. 

"The  Euryalus,  although  shifting,  still  remained  within 
range,  as  did  also  the  Perseus.  On  the  morning  of  the 
15th  the  Pearl,  Coquette,  Argus,  Havoc  and  Eacehorse, 
proceeded  up  the  hay  and  took  as  hostages  three 
steamers  there  at  anchor : — said  to  he  the  England, 
(purchased  by  Satsuina  in  1861  for  $120,000)  the  Sir 
George  Grey  (for  $40,000)  and  the  Contest  which  cost 
him  $85,000  in  May  1861. 

"The  weather  which  had  been  stormy  during  the  whole 
morning  now  became  worse,  it  was  raining  in  torrents, 
and  the  wind  blowing  a  hurricane  round  the  bay.     At 
ten   o'clock  all  the   above-named  vessels,  English   and 
Japanese,  had  returned,  and  at  twelve  the  men  were  piped 
to  dinner,  and  nothing  immediate  expected,  when  sud- 
denly the  battery  on  the  main  land  covering  the  Euryalus, 
and  that  on  the  island  covering  the   Perseus,   opened 
fire.     The  three  hostage  steamers  were  forthwith  fired, 
(their  crews  having  been  previously  sent  ashore.     One 
of  the  head  officers  on  board  was  recognised  as  having 
belonged  to  the  staff  of  the  late  ambassadors  to  Europe. 
He  and  another   officer,    at    their   own   request,    were 
taken  on  board   the  flag-ship).     All  the  ships  weighed 
and    formed    line  of    battle.      The    Perseus   then   en- 
gaged   the    battery  that  had   been   firing    at   her,   in 
beautiful  style,  knocking  her   antagonist's    guns    over, 
one    after  the    other,  and    when   she    had    completed 
that,  as  though  she  had  been  only  getting  her  hand  in, 
she  passed   over  to  the   other   side   and   engaged  the 
battery  on  the  opposite  shore.     All  the   batteries  (10) 
were  then  engaged  by  the  ships  at  point  blank  range, 
at  from  400  to  800  yards  respectively,    (the  Euryalus 
being  within  200  yard's)  commencing  with  the  northern- 
most [No.    8]    and   passing   down    the   entire   line,   to 
the  Spit  battery,   i" No.  1]  at  slow  speed.     During  all  this 
time   it   was   blowing    tremendously.     About   dusk   the 
town  was  fired  in  several  parts  by  shells,  and  three  of 
the  forts  were  silenced.     All  the  ships  then  returned  to 
their  anchorage,  save  the  Racehorse,  which  had  got  ashore 


THE  BATTLE  OF  KAGOSHIMA.  291 

within  200  yards  of  the  nearest  hattery,  [No.  8]  of 
which  accident  she  availed  herself  to  pour  her  metal 
into  it  until  it  was  effectually  silenced.  The  Argus  was 
sent  to  bring  her  off,  which  she  accomplished  after  about 
an  hour's  delay,  during  the  whole  of  which  time,  she 
was  under  fire  from  one  of  the  other  batteries. 

"This  was  Saturday  the  15th,  during  the  whole  of 
which  day  it  had  been  raining  and  blowing  fiercely.  The 
loss  on  this  day  to  the  squadron  was  eleven  killed  and 
thirty-nine  wounded.  Amongst  the  former,  Capt.  JOSLIN 
of  the  flag-ship,  and  Commander  Edward  WILMOTT  (late  of 
the  Agamemnon),  met  a  glorious  death  by  the  same  shot. 
They  were  standing  on  the  bridge  of  the  flag- ship  about 
the  middle  of  the  engagement,  when  a  shot  passed 
through  the  boat  and  struck  them  both  instantaneously. 
The  Admiral  escaped  death  by  the  same  shot  in  a 
wonderful  manner,  as  he  and  the  master  were  standing 
on  the  narrow  bridge  when  the  Captain  fell. 

"About  9  P.M.  the  whole  of  one  side  of  the  town  was 
blazing. 

"The  following  day  (Sunday)  the  weather  cleared  up, 
the  dead, '(2  officers  and  7  seamen),  were  consigned  to  the 
sailors'  grave  in  Euryalus  Bay  at  11  o'clock,  and  the 
fleet  stood  out,  passing  close  to  the  batteries  on  the 
island,  which  it  engaged  the  whole  way. 

"The  destruction  accomplished  by  the  fleet  was 
enormous.  The  whole  city  wras  now  one  mass  of  ruins 
including  the  palace,  the  factories  and  the  arsenal  and 
warehouses :  the  batteries  also  had  been  seriously 
damaged,  not  one  of  those  which  had  been  engaged 
during  the  first  day  fired  a  shot  on  the  second  day  as  the 
fleet  passed  out. 

"The  three  destroyed  ships  alone  had  cost  Satsuma 
$245,000,  upwards  of  half  of  which  he  has  paid  very 
recently.  Several  large  junks  also  were  destroyed.  The 
Japanese  stood  well  to  their  guns  so  long  as  the  play 
was  at  long  range,  but  seemed  somewhat  taken  aback 
when  the  ships  came  to  close  quarters. 

"Their  metal  appears  to  have  consisted  of  13  in.  and  8 
in.  shells ; — four  150  Ibs.,  ten  80  Ibs.,  and  the  remainder 
82  Ibs.,  &c. 

"Considering  the  close  firing,  in  some  cases  only  200 
yards,  the  amount  of  damage  done  to  the  ships  was 


232  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

wonderfully   small.     The  Euryalus  suffered  most,  and 
her  daina<',e  was  principally-  in  her  hoats  and  rigging. 
The  list  of  casualties  was  :— 

Euryalus,  10  killed,  21  wounded. 

Pearl,  7  wounded. 

Argus,  6  wounded. 

Coquette,  2  killed,  4  wounded. 

Racehorse,  3  wounded. 

Perseus,  1  killed,  9  wounded. 

"Several  most  pressing  invites  were  sent  to  Colonel 
XEALE  to  attend  with  as  many  of  his  suite  as  he  chose, 
on  shore,  at  a  conference,  in-  a  place  prepared  to  rcrein- 
them; — a  courtesy  declined  with  .thanks. 

"The  following  is  a  list  of  the  mounts  of  the  batteries. 
No.  1. — 8  82  Ibs.,  2  mortars,  and  between  forts  numbers 

1  and  2-8  field-pieces. 
No.    2.— 3  32s.  Ibs.,  2  mortars. 

,,      3. —  3  mortars. 

,,      4. — Not  known. 

,,      5. — 2  8  inch  guns,  9  32s.  3  field-pieces. 

„      6.— 3  18s> 

„      7.— 2  10  inch,  5  32s.  2  field  pieces. 

,i     8.— 1  10  inch,  5  32s.  1  18,  1  field-piece. 

„      9.— 4  18s. 

„    10.— 3  18s. 

„    11.— 2  8  in.,  4,32s. 

,,    12. — 15  32s.,  (only  3  opened  fired.") 

The  battle  was  fought  during  a  heavy  typhoon,  which 
subsequently  the,  Satsuma  officials  said  they  purposely 
took  advantage  of  to  bring  off  the  engagement ;  believing 
that  ni>  ships  could  stand  the  combined  forces  of  nature 
and  science — the  raging  elements,  and  the  deadly  hail  of 
the  forts.  There  was  a  certain  amount  of -ignorance 
displayed  011  their,  part ;  and  perhaps  Admiral  KUPF.R 
ought  to  have  taken  some  pains  to  explain  the  truth  to 
thi-iLi.  All  he  :\  .nited  was  to  enforce  the  rendition  of  the 
mrmk'i-e! s  o|  .  •. .  !;.. 'iuiiDsoN,  that  they  might  meet  the 
justice  due  to  them  :  and  the  pftyment  of  l'2»,000  as  in- 
demnitv  to  the  relatives  of  Mr.  RICHARDSON  'and  of  his 


THE  DAMAGE  SUFFERED  BY  8AT8UMA. 

companions.  The  Admiral's  object  in  taking  the  three 
ships  was  to  hold  them  until  these  demands  were  satis- 
factorily complied  with.  The  ships  had  cost  the  clan  not 
less  than  $245,000 — of  which  about  the  half  had  been 
paid  quite  recently  ;  and  it  might  have  been  reasonably 
supposed  that  they  would  gladly  have  redeemed  the  ships 
by  the  payment  of  the  $100,000 — the  equivalent  of  the 
required  amount,  and  have  made  the  arrangements  they 
afterward  did  make  to  continue  to  search  for,  and  to  hand 
over  to  justice  when  found,  the  actual  culrJrits  in  that 
most  cowardly  attack.  • 

But  it  does  not  appear  that  they  understood  this. 
They  saw  their  ships  tfltken  possession  of,  and  doubtless 
felt  the  most  natural  indignation  at  such  a  proceeding  on 
the  part  of  the  'English.  They  opened  upon  the  fleet 
with  shot  and  shell,  and — the  rest  is  told  above.  The 
damage  suffered  by  SATSCMA  was — the  destruction  of  the 
town — very  much  to  be  regretted,  though  most  of  the 
populace  had  ilr-d  in  anticipation  of  tne  fight;  the 
demolition  of  several  batteries  ;  the  consumption  by  fire 
of  the  Arsenal  and 'five  large  Loochoo  junks,  the  rujn  of 
a  fine  temple  (erroneously  thought  at  the  time  to  be  the 
palace  of  the  prince),  and  the  burning  of  the  three  ships. 
It  was  a  terrible  retribution ;  but  as,  in  order  to  secure 
the  safety  of  hoy  Majesty's  ships,  not  from  the  effects  of 
the  guns  in  the  forts  but  from  the  severity  of  the  weather, 
•the  British  Admiral,  considering  he  had  administered 
punishment  enough,  withdrew  to  a  safe  anchorage,  the 
Satsuma  people  professed  to  believe  that  they  had  gained 
ilu>  victory.  When,  b  a  few  months  afterwards, 

they  sent  to'.Yedo  ci-rtain  officials  to  pay  tile  money  and 
to  make  the  wi  at  which,  as  I  have,  related, 

had  tliov  done  at  the-  time,  all  the  IOMS,  all  the  bloodshed, 
would  ha  voided,  thT-y  honestly  admitted  that  the 

lesson  'they  learnt  on  this  ocCasio"   h;;d   the  effect  Of 

VOL.    I  '#*       00 


234  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

showing  them  how  mistaken  they  had  been  as  to  the 
ability  of  Japan  to  cope  with  western  nations ;  and 
thenceforward  they  became  more  than  ever  desirous  of 
cultivating  European  arts  and  sciences,  with  a  view  to 
placing  Japan  really  on  a  platform  with  other  na- 
tionalities. 

Although  anticipating  the  order  of  events,  I  may  as 
well  finish .  this  strange  eventful  story.  On  the  6th 
November,  the  British  Charge  d' Affaires  was  waited  upon 
by  the  Japanese  officials,  to  announce  that  envoys  had 
arrived  in  Yedo  from  the  prince  of  Satsuma,  who  desired 
audience  of  his  Excellency  on  matters  of  importance. 
The  9th  November  was  named  by  Colonel  NEALE  for  the 
interview,  and  the  appointment  was  duly  kept.  Several 
of  the  daimio's  high  officials,  accompanied  by  some  of 
the  officers  of  the  Government  arrived  at  the  Legation  at 
1.30  P.M.,  and  the  interview  lasted  .until  nearly  5  o'clock. 

"  The  envoys  commenced  by  representing  to  Colonel 
NEALE  that  SATSUMA  felt  much  that  he  had  been  harshly 
dealt  with  in  the  seizure  and  destruction  of  his  steamers 
at  Kagoshirna  without  due  notice  of  the  intention  of  the 
Admiral  to  destroy  them.  This  opened  the  matter,  and 
Colonel  NEALE  replied  by  passing  in  review  the  whole  of 
the  Kagoshiina  affair ;  pointing  •  out  that  the  British 
squadron  had  proceeded  there  for  the  purpose  of  negoci- 
ating  upon  the  matter  of  satisfaction  required  for  the 
murder  of  Mr.  EICHARDSON  and  the  attack  upon  his  com- 
panions ;  that  during  the  long  delay  that  had  elapsed 
before  sending  any  reply  the  squadron  had  had  occa- 
sion to  shift  its  anchorage, — that  the  reply,  when  it 
did  arrive,  was  of  a  character  which  rendered  some 
pledge  or  hostage  necessary  during  further  negocia- 
tions  ;  that  with  this  view  and  for  this  purpose  the 
steamers  had  been  taken  possession  of,  and  not  with  any 
intention  of  either  destroying  them  or  of  taking  them 
away,  but  that  the  prince's  people  had  themselves  com- 
menced the  hostilities  by  firing  upon  the  British  ships, 
and  that  therefore  the  destruction  of  the  steamers  was  a 
consequence  of  their  own  act  at  the  time. 


FINAL  ARRANGEMENTS  AND  COBBESPONDENCE.  235 

"  It  seems  that  the  prince's  envoys  quite  appreciated, 
after  the  explanation  given,  the  patience  and  moderation 
exercised  by  the  British  Minister  and  Admiral  on  the 
occasion. 

"  It  was  then  seen  that  this  could  only  be  a  preliminary 
interview,  and  the  ground  being  thus  partially  cleared 
the  envoys  left,  asking  for  an  appointment  for  another 
occasion,  which  was  given  for  the  following  Saturday. 

"  This  day  Colonel  NEALE  again  gave  audience  to  the 
envoys ;  but  after  several  hours  patient  sitting,  no  definite 
conclusion  was  arrived  at,  and  Colonel  NEALE  consented 
to  one  more  adjournment.  This  conference  lasted  from 
shortly  after  mid-day  to  nearly  six  o'clock  P.M. 

"Terms  of  arrangement  were  at  last  definitely  agreed 
upon,  of  a  nature  which  the  British  Charge  d'Affaires 
considered  were  all  he  could  have  anticipated,  and  which 
were  of  an  entirely  satisfactory  character. 

"These  were  made  and  distinctly  understood  in  the 
presence  of  the  Japanese  high  Government  officials  who 
accompanied  the  Envoys. 

"Avast  number  of  propositions  had  however  to  be  first 
encountered,  combatted  and  declined  :  propositions,  some 
for  delay,  some  for  an  acknowledgement  of  wrong-doing 
in  the  seizure  of  the  steamers,  and  others  of  an  equally 
inadmissable  character ;  but  they  were  ultimately  reduced 
into  an  entirely  satisfactory  compass." 

The  terms  were  as  satisfactory  as  could  have  been 
expected.  The  $100,000  were  paid,  and  the  following 
letters  passed. 

The  Agents  of  the  Prince  of  Satsuma 
to  Lieutenant-Colonel  NEALE. 

"  Yokohama,  December  llth,  1863.. 

"  The  money  demanded  by  the  British  Government 
having  been  paid  by  the  officers  of  SHIMADZU  AWAJI-NO- 
KAMI,  a  branch  of  the  family  of  Satsuma,  we  hereby 
promise  as  follows  :— - 

"  The  persons  who  last  autumn,  in  the  eighth  month, 
killed  and  wounded  your  countrymen  at  Namamugi,  on 
the  Tokaido,  have  escaped  from  that  place,  and  although 
we  have  diligently  searched  for  them,  their  place  of 
abode  has  not  been  found  out. 

' '  And  as  also  some  time  has  passed,  it  is  not  possible 
to  state  with  certainty  whether 'they  are  still  alive,  but 


286  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

we  will  use  every  diligence  in  searching  for  them,  and  as 
soon  as  arrested  punish  the  same  with  death  in  the 
presence  of  your  country's  officers. 

"As  a  promise  for  the  future  we  sign  this. 

(Signed)  "  SHIKENO  KONOSHO, 

"Diplomatic  Agent  of  the  Prince  of  Satsuma. 

"  IWASHITA  SAIEMON, 
"Acting  Minister  of  Satsiima. 
"  Countersigned  as  witnesses  to  the  above  promise. 
(Signed)  "  UKAI  TAICHI, 

"  Officer  of  Department  for  Foreign  Affairs  of  Tycoon's 
Government.   / 

"  SAITO  KINGO, 

"  Assistant  Ometsky." 

[Memorandum.] 

"British  Legation  in  Japan, 

December  llth,' 1863. 

"  The  basis  of  good  will  and  amity  being  established 
by  the  settlement  of  the  demands  preferred  on  the  Prince 
of  Satsunia ;  and  the  Prince  of  Satsuma  having 
preferred  to  the  undersigned,  her  Majesty's  Charge 
d' Affaires,  a  request  in  presence  of  Officers  of  the 
Tycoon,  and  as  a  token  of  friendly  feeling  re- 
established, that  he  would  facilitate  the  desire  of  the 
Prince  of  Satsuma  to  purchase  a  ship  of  war  in  England, 
her  Britannic  Majesty's  Charge  d' Affaires  does  hereby 
engage  to  represent  such  request  when  formally  and 
specifically  preferred  to  her  Majesty's  Government, 
provided  that  at  the  period  when  such  request  is  made 
or  in  course  of  examination,  the  relations  of  the  Tycoon's 
Government  with  Great  Britain  in  general,  and  the 
proceedings  and  disposition  of  the  Prince  of  Satsuma  in 
particular,  are  not  inimical  or  directed  against  the 
rights  acquired  by  treaties  now  existing  between  the 
Tycoon  of  Japan,  Great  Britain,  and  other  friendly 
States. 

"  Given  at  Yokohama,  this  llth  day  of  Dec.,  1863. 
(Signed)        "  EDWD.  ST.  JOHN  NEALE, 
"  Her  Majesty's  Charge  d' Affaires" 


CONCLUSION  OF  THE  RICHARDSON  EPISODE.  237 

The  Japanese  Ministers  for  Foreign  Affairs 
to  Lieutenant-Colonel  NEALE. 

"  Yedo,  December  IStli,  1863. 

"  We  beg  to  make  the  following  communication  to 
your  Excellency. 

"  With  respect  to  the  murder  which  was  committed 
last  year  upon  a  British  merchant  at  Namamugi,  on  the 
Tokaido,  the  subjects  of  MATSUDAIRA  SHIURI-NO-DAIBU 
and  SHIMADZU  AWAJI-NO-!VAMI,  of  the  family  of  Satsuma, 
have  lately  had  an  interview  with  you,  and  the  negotia- 
tion was  of  a  peaceful  nature,  thus  affording  a  proof  that 
the  subjects  of  SHIURI-NO-DAIBU  (Satsuma)  will  search 
for  and  punish  the  murderer,  as  by  their  written  engage- 
ment. The  indemnity  money  was  moreover  handed  over 
by  the  subjects  of  AWAJI-NO-KAMI  of  the  family  of 
Satsuma,  and  also  as  a  proof  of  peace,  the  engagement 
entered  into  by  you  to  facilitate  the  purchase  of  a  man- 
of-war  in  terms  of  the  writing  was  given,  and  everything 
ended  satisfactorily,  which  we  have  fully  understood  from 
the  communication  received  from  our  Government 
officers  who  were  present. 

"  It  gives  us  great  pleasure,  as  it  is  a  sign  of  the 
continuance  of  a  lasting  friendship  between  the  two 
countries.  With  respect  and  consideration. 

"  The  3rd  day  of  the  llth  month  of  the  3rd  year  of 
Bunkiu  (December  13th,  1863). 

(Signed)         "  MIDZUNO  IDZUMI-NO-KAMI. 
,,  "  ITAKURA  SUWO-NO-KAHI. 

,,  "  ARIMA  TOTOMI-NO-KAMI." 

And  so  ended  this  most  memorable  and  most  me- 
lancholy episode  in  the  history  of  foreign  relations  with 
Japan.  Time  has  revealed  many  facts  in  connection 
with  those  early  experiences,  which  have  opened  the  eyes 
both  of  Japanese  and  foreigners.  But  time,  though  it 
may  cast  a  doubt  on  certain  strongly  entertained  opinions, 
can  never  remove  the  strong  conviction  that  poor  Mr. 
EICHARDSON,  by  whomsoever  originally  attacked,  was 
cruelly  despatched  finally  in  the  most  cold-blooded 
manner ;  and  that,  if  SHIMADZU  SABUUO  did  not  actually 
give  the  original  order  for  the  assault,  he,  at  least 


288  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

withheld  the  word,  which,  emanating  from  him,  would 
have  stopped  it.  It  is  a  sad,  sad  story ;  and  every 
sincere  well-wisher  of  Japan,  of  whom  I  emphatically 
am  one,  must  regret  it  prohably  more  deeply  than  any 
other  event  that  has  to  he  chronicled  in  this  narrative. 

I  have  only  to  add  that  H.  B.  M.'s  Government  most 
strongly  approved  of  Colonel  NEALE'S  conduct  throughout. 
The  Queen  conferred  upon  him  the  Companionship  of 
the  Bath,  and  acknowledged  approvingly  the  services  of 
the  gentlemen  of  the  legation  who  had  been  useful  as 
interpreters  at  Kagoshima.  The  public  also  came  to 
see  and  acknowledge  that  Colonel  NEALTC  had  acted 
prudently  and  well  throughout ;  and  he  had  the  good 
sense  to  show  no  chagrin  at  the  treatment  he  had 
received  at  the  hands  of  the  community,  or  at  the  hard 
things  that  had  been  said  of  him  in  the  press.  Of  course 
the  squadron  under  Admiral  KUPER  obtained  the 
ministerial  approval  that  was  so  justly  their  due; 
although  an  attempt  was  made  in  Parliament  to  obtain  a 
vote  of  censure  for  the  destruction  of  the  town  of 
Kagosima. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

CHANGE  OF  THEME. — "  OUT   OF  BOUNDS." — TREATY  LIMITS. 

OCCASIONAL    TRANSGRESSIONS. — A    TRIP    ACROSS    THE    GULF 

OF  YEDO  IN  SEARCH  OF  SCENERY  AND  GAME. — FIRST  EFFECT 
ON  THE  NATIVES  ON  SEEING  FOREIGNERS. — DIFFICULTIES.— 
SURMOUNTED. — THE  KIND  HEARTS  OF  THE  PEOPLE  EASILY 
WON. — VISIT  OF  OFFICIALS. — THE  YAKUNINS  MELTED. — SUB- 
SEQUENT CIVILITY  AND  ATTENTION. — RETURN  TO  SETTLEMENT. 

I  HAVE  dwelt  so  long  on  themes  of  a  saddening 
character,  (and  I  have  still  to  continue  to  harp  on  the 
same  string),  that  it  will  be  a  relief  to  me,  and  probably 
to  my  readers  also,  if,  before  proceeding  with  my  history 
proper,  I  devote  a  short  chapter  to  an  incident  of  a 
different  nature — more  directly  personal  it  is  true,  but 
probably  allowable,  as  describing  one  feature  of  life  in 
Japan,  in  those  days. 

Treaty  limits  used  of  old  to  be  a  kind  of  bugbear  to 
foreigners  in  Yokohama,  all  of  whom  wished,  but  few  of 
whom  dared,  to  pass  beyond  the  phantom  line  around 
the  settlement,  the  radius  of  which  was  just  10  ri— 
43,200  yards,  or  a  little  over  twenty  four  miles  and  a 
half — except  in  the  direction  of  Yedo,  where  they  were 
pulled  up  at  the  distance  of  about  five  ri  by  the  river 


240  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

Rokugo,  or,  as  it  was  more  commonly  called,  Logo. 
Those  who  had  the  temerity  to  go  beyond  the  boundary, 
did  so  with  the  fear  of  being  stopped  by  every  man  they 
met,  and  sent  back  to  the  place  whence  they  came ;  and 
it  was  something  to  talk  about  as  a  kind  of  feat  of  daring, 
deserving  of  being  described  to  all  one's  friends  as  some- 
thing very  heroic  and  wonderful. 

The  following  account  of  such  an  excursion  was  given 
me  by  one  of  the  parties  concerned.  I  introduce  it  to 
show  the  kind  nature  of  the  people,  away  from  the 
influence  of  excited  "  patriots." 

"We  went  in  an  open  boat  across  the  gulf  of  Yedo,  and 
landed  at  a  village  the  name  of  which  has  long  slipped 
my  memory — in  the  province  of  Boshiu.  There  were 
three  of  us — two  being  keen  sportsmen  expecting  to  find 
any  quantity  of  game.  The  third  was  anxious  to  get  to 
a  certain  hill,  from  which  he  had  been  told  he  could 
look  down  on  such  a  prospect  as  our  readers  may  imagine 
from  the  name  "  The  ninety  nine  valleys."  It  had  been 
mentioned  as  a  spot  beautiful  beyond  compare;  so, 
brim-full  of  curiosity,  we  went  for  it.  Unfortunately — 
'  'twas  ever  thus  since  childhood's  hour ' — we  were 
doomed  to  disappointment,  not  having  landed  anywhere 
near  the  desired  spot,  and  none  of  the  people  to  whom 
we  addressed  ourselves  knowing  anything  about  it — very 
few  indeed  understanding  our  vile  Yokohama  jargon, 
which  rendered  us,  as  we  thought,  objects  of  surprise  to 
the  natives,  and  really  of  contempt  to  ourselves.  At 
first,  when  our  boat  reached  the  shore,  all  the  natives 
seemed  disinclined  to  hold  any  converse  with  us.  They 
were  evidently  frightened,  though  their  curiosity  pre- 
vented their  running  away.  We  asked  them  in  the  best 
Japanese  we  could  muster  between  the  three  of  us,  to 
direct  us  to  a  tea-house,  but  not  one  would  answer ;  and 
had  it  not  been  for  a  little  dirty-faced  scamp' who  had  the 


CHANGE  OF  THEME.  241 

boldness  to  touch  one  of  the  guns  without  being  chid  for 
his  impertinence,  and  who  was  thereby  emboldened  to 
stand  right  opposite  to  the  owner  of  the  weapon  and 
grin  from  ear  to  ear,  it  is  likely  enough  we  should  have 
had  some  difficulty  in  breaking  the  ice.  As  it  was,  how- 
ever, this  urchin  next  allowed  his  curiosity  to  get  the 
better  of  his  good  manners  to  such  an  extent  as  to  feel 
the  texture  of  a  waterproof  cape  one  of  our  party  had 
hanging  over  his  arm,  when  the  bearer  threw  it  over  the 
lad's  shoulder  and  held  out  his  valise  for  him  to  carry, 
telling  him  to  lead  the  way  to  the  best  house  in  the 
village,  and  making  him  understand  that  he  should  re- 
ceive payment  for  his  services.  This  was  sufficient.  The 
lad  trotted  along,  followed  by  us  and  by  all  those  who 
had  assembled  at  the  unwonted  sight  of  three  foreigners 
on  soil  no  foreigner's  foot  had  ever  before  trodden. 

But  now  came  the  difficulty  as  to  where  he  was  to  lead 
us.  He  didn't  like  the  responsibility  of  taking  us  to  any 
one's  house ;  and  as  '  I  now  write  I  wonder  he  didn't  at 
once  lead  us  to  the  chief  man  of  the  village.  After  some 
little  walking,  as  we  passed  a  house  that  seemed  cleaner 
than,  and  which  was  at  some  distance  from,  the  rest — 
we  halted  and  went  up  to  the  door.  Immediately  all  the 
inmates  ran  to  the  back  rooms,  one  old  lady  alone  stay- 
ing to  close  the  sliding  doors — but  not  being  able  to  ac- 
complish this  before  we  reached  the  dwelling,  she  left  her 
task  half-done,  and  ran  in  too. 

It  was  now  very  nearly  sundown  ;  and  we  knew  that 
our  night's  lodging  under  a  roof  depended  upon  our  mak- 
ing a  favorable  impression.  We  therefore  told  the  boy 
to  put  down  his  burden,  and  gave  him  a  tip  which  not 
only  surprised  him,  but  made  him  for  the  nonce  the  most 
popular  lad,  the  most  desirable  companion,  in  the  whole 
village.  We  smiled  as  we  saw  all  the  brats  of  the  place 
congregate  about  him,  just  like  European  children,  the 

VOL.    I  DD 


242  YCUNG  JAPAN. 

moment  he  had  a  silver  boo  of  his  own.  He  laughed 
aloud  with  glee — and  came  half  a  dozen  times  to  kow-tow 
and  thank  us  ;  and  more  than  that,  he  seemed  to  keep 
watch  for  us,  that  he  might  do  far  more  should  we  require 
him.  All  the  people  who  saw  him  receive  his  boo  at 
once  opened  their  hearts  to  us,  and  we  were  no  longer 
objects  of  fear,  but  of  something  like  wonder  and  admira- 
tion. Likely  enough,  for  it  is  more  than  probable  that 
so  vast  a  reward  as  a  whole  boo  in  cash — then  equal  to 
nearly  two  shillings — had  never  been  given  for  such  a 
small  amount  of  work  in  the  village  before. 

But  this  which  made  us  at  once  so  popular  outside  of 
the  house  was  not  seen  by  the  inmates  ;  who  had,  as  we 
have  said,  all  run  and  hidden  themselves  on  our 
approach.  The  last  who  beat  a  retreat,  the  old  woman 
— not  having  been  able  to  close  the  sliding  doors,  we  put 
our  baggage  down  just  inside,  and  sat  down  to  consult. 
It  was  evident  that  it  would  be  unwise  to  attempt  to 
return  that  night ;  and  indeed,  we  did  not  feel  at  all 
disposed  to  give  up  the  anticipated  sporting  pleasures  we 
had  come  for,  even  though  it  appeared  that  we  had 
entirely  missed  the  scenic  goal  we  had  looked  forward  to. 
We  therefore  decided  that  we  must  put  on  a  bold  front, 
and  whilst  shewing  the  people  that  we  perfectly  under- 
stood good  manners,  and  that  we  would  not  willingly  put 
them  about,  still  we  must  have  shelter  of  some  sort,  and 
that  in  the  absence  of  any  tea-house,  some  of  them  must 
supply  it.  After  therefore  calling  repeatedly  for  the 
inmates  of  the  house,  and  none  appearing,  we  quietly 
unpacked  a  case  of  provender  and  commenced  refresh- 
ing the  inner  man.  This  must  .have  been  too  much  for 
the  curiosity  of  the  people  of  the  house  to  resist — as,  first 
the  old  woman  came  and  looked  on  at  a  distance,  and 
then  some  of  the  young  fry  stood  by  her,  but  not  a  word 
could  we  get  from  any  of  them  ;  until  at  last  a  middle- 


DIFFICULTIES.  243 

aged  woman  who  turned  out  to  be  the  daughter  of  the 
old  lad}r  and  the  mother  of  the  others,  came  in,  and 
approaching  us  quite  naturally,  without  any  timidity, 
and  dropping  on  her  knees  and  saluting  us  in  the 
ordinary  Japanese  way  by  bending  her  head  to  the  earth, 
told  us  that  she  and  her  husband  had  been  absent ;  but, 
that  having  heard  of  our  arrival  she  had  hastened  home, 
and  that  he  would  quickly  follow  her.  We  told  her 
that  we  desired  nothing  but  shelter  for  ourselves  and 
our  servant — a  frightened  Yokohama  lad,  who  seemed 
afraid  to  open  his  mouth,  lest  he  should  be  seized  by  the 
yakunins  for  accompanying  us  to  a  place  we  had  no  busi- 
ness to  visit.  She  begged  us  not  to  think  her  inhospitable, 
but  to  wait  with  patience  until  her  husband  came  home, 
who  would  doubtless  see  that  all  was  right.  He  was 
longer  than  we  anticipated,  but  that  wras  just  as  well — 
for  it  gave  us  time  to  ingratiate  ourselves  thoroughly 
with  the  family.  It  was  quite  dark  by  the  time  we  had 
finished  our  repast,  and  the  house  being  shut  up,  we  set 
to  work  to  make  ourselves  as  agreeable  as  we  could. 
One  of  us  was  an  adept  at  twisting  paper  into  all  sorts  of 
shapes — a  favorite  amusement  among  the  Japanese 
themselves — but  he  could  do  twice  as  much  as  any  of 
them  could,  and  all  got  close  to  him  to  watch  the 
twistings  develope  into  some  form  or  other,  which 
invariably  sent  them  into  shouts  of  delight,  and  when  the 
"gudeman  cam'hame  at  e'en,"  he,  who  saw  foreigners 
as  he  told  us  for  the  first  time,  found  them  sitting  on  the 
mats  as  happy  with  his  household  as  if  they  had  been 
familiar  all  their  days. 

When  told  that  we  required  shelter  for  the  night,  he 
said  that  it  was  absolutely  impossible.  He  did  not  like 
to  refuse  us,  but  he  dare  not  allow  us  to  stay  under  his 
roof — as  the  yakunins  would  be  sure  to  hear  of  it  and 
he  would  get  into  severe  trouble. 


244  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

Here  was  a  pretty  position  for  us.  It  was  by  this 
time  black  dark — one  of  those  nights  of  impenetrable 
darkness,  when  nothing  whatever  can  be  seen  ;  darkness 
that  is  not  less  obscure  even  when  the  eye  becomes 
accustomed  to  it.  What  could  we  do  ?  We  told  him, 
that  we  must  decline  to  leave  the  premises.  He  might 
give  us  an  an  outhouse  if  he  liked,  if  there  were  such  a 
thing  on  the  compound,  but  that  outside  of  the  enclosure 
we  positively  would  not  go,  and  that  we  were  determined 
to  have  a  roof  over  us,  even  if  the  sides  were  open.  See- 
ing our  determination  he  did  not  make  any  further 
resistance ;  but  he  must  have  sent  to  the  head  village 
yakunin,  for  after  a  long  time — it  must  have  been  nearly 
10  o'clock — two  officials  arrived,  and  entering,  began  to 
speak  in  a  somewhat  bullying  voice.  Candour  compels 
us  to  say,  that  we  all  felt  very  uneasy,  and  two  of  us 
afterwards  admitted  that  they  made  sure  they  were  in 
for  being  tied  up,  and  sent  ignominiously  back  to  Yoko- 
hama the  next  day.  Fortunately  the  third,  who  was 
probably  as  apprehensive  as  the  others,  had  a  remarkably 
cool  bearing  at  all  times ;  and  this  stood  us  in  stead  now. 
We  had  brought  among  our  provisions  a  few  bottles 
of  beer,  a  bottle  of  a  brandy,  and  two  bottles  of  sparkling 
Moselle — the  latter  with  the  knowledge  of  the  fondness  of- 
the  Japanese  for  sparkling  wines — and  for  the  very 
purpose  of  propitiating  them  if  necessary.  Whilst  then 
the  officers  were  excitedly  addressing  us  and  telling  us 
we  must  accompany  them,  our  cool  companion  quietly 
left  us,  and  raising  the  lid  of  the  case  in  which  our  drink- 
ables were,  exposed  them  to  view,  and  taking  out  one  of 
the  bottles  of  Moselle,  asked  for  a  cup — there  are  no 
glasses  in  a  Japanese  farmer's  house — and  setting  free 
the  cork,  sat  down  with  some  of  the  family  who,  tired  of 
the  altercation,  had  resumed  their  places  on  the  mats. 
Pouring  out  cupfull  after  cupfull,  he  gave  one  to  each. 


SURMOUNTED.  245 

(Japanese  sake  cups  are  very  small,  none  holding  much 
more  than  a  liqueur  glass  ;  so  that  the  liquor  went  a  long 
way.)  When  the  yakunins  heard  the  cork  and  saw  that 
something  pleasant  was  going  on,  they  turned  from  the 
other  two,  and  approached  the  group  on  the  mats. 
Common  civility  induced  our  friend  to  offer  them  a  taste 
of  the  foreign  sake,  and  common  love  of  liquor,  (which 
the  Japanese  go  in  for  quite  as  heavily  as  Europeans,  if 
not  even  more  so),  induced  the  officers  to  accept  the 
proffered  cup,  which  so  wrought  upon  them  that  every 
difficulty  melted  awaj7.  The  yakunins  sat  down  and 
talked  and  laughed  with  us ;  paterfamilias  made  us  wel- 
come, and  we  managed  to  make  the  bottle  of  Moselle  and  a 
little  brandy  toddy  occupy  the  male  folk — (the  women  and 
bairns  went  to  bed  shortly  after  the  men  sat  down  toge- 
ther)— until  the  wee  sma'  hours  ayont  the  twal'.  When 
at  last  the  time  of  separation  came,  the  host  showed  us 
that  a  comfortable  f'tong  or  sleeping  dress  (a  kind  of 
large  dressing  gown  heavily  padded  with  wool)  had  been 
laid  down  for  each  of  us  on  the  clean  mats;  and  the 
yakunins  told  us  that  we  need  be  under  no  apprehension 
of  attack  as  they  would  take  care  that  the  house  should 
be  guarded.  Whether  it  was  so,  we  are  not  aware,  but 
certainly  we  hadn't  a  thought  of  danger.  In  the  morning, 
we  were  up  with  the  dawn  ;  but  early  as  we  were,  all  the 
family  were  before  us,  and  preparations  were  being  made 
for  breakfast,  which  at  their  invitation  we  shared  with 
them.  As  we  had  told  overnight  that  the  object  of  our 
visit  was  to  get  some  sport,  the  farmer  said  there  was 
plenty  to  be  had,  and  sent  two  of  the  farm  servants  to 
shew  us  where  pheasants  most  abounded.  He  also  made 
us  promise  to  return  in  the  evening  and  again  avail  of  his 
house  as  our  resting  place,  adding  that  we  were  welcome 
as  long  as  we  found  it  agreeable. 
The  men  who  went  with  us  took  us  to  a  most  impro- 


246  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

inising  country  for  anything  like  game — and  feeling 
somewhat  disappointed  we  turned  back,  intending  to  try 
a  bit  of  cover  we  had  seen  a  little  off  the  road,  when  one 
of  the  yakunins  of  the  previous  evening  came  running 
up,  greeting  us  as  if  we  were  old  friends,  and,  telling  us 
we  had  overshot  the  mark,  took  us  to  the  very  ground  we 
had  spotted.  He  stayed  with  us  the  whole  day — and  we 
bagged  a  fair  amount  of  birds ;  which,  by  the  way, 
were  carried  for  us  by  the  little  urchin  who  had 
carried  the  valise  and  macintosh  on  our  arrival,  and 
who  we  found  waiting  outside  the  door  when  we  rose 
in  the  morning.  We  left  the  next  morning  with 
letters  for  the  head  men  of  the  villages  we  were  likely  to 
pass  on  our  way  to  the  spot  from  which  we  were  to  see 
the  ninety-nine  valleys,  which  the  yakunins  and  our 
host  could  of  course  tell  us  all  about.  But  unfortunately 
the  weather  came  on  wet,  and  made  the  walking  so  slip- 
pery and  toilsome,  that  we  deferred  that  jaunt  for  another 
occasion,  and  that  has  never  since  turned  up.  This  was 
in  the  old  Tycoon's  days,  when,  had  we  not  fallen  into 
good  hands  we  certainty  should  have  been  sent  back  and 
hauled  over  the  coals  ;  but  as  it  is,  we  look  back  upon  it 
as  one  of  the  most  pleasant  experiences  of  the  kindness 
and  real  hospitality  of  the  Japanese  that  we  ever  received. 
Now-a-days,  foreigners  obtain  passports,  and  go  almost 
anywhere  they  like,  and  so  long  as  they  behave  them- 
selves they  are  not  interfered  with ;  but  in  those  days 
there  was  some  danger — for  no  one  knew  who  were 
friends  and  who  were  foes  of  foreigners,  and  the  orders 
respecting  them  were  very  stringent.  The  yakunins  of  the 
village  ought  to  have  sent  us  back,  and  I  can  hardly  realize 
now  that  any  could  then  be  found  to  take  such  a  responsi- 
bility on  themselves  as  they  did.  However,  we  all  got 
safely  back,  delighted  with  all  we  had  seen,  the  little 
sport  we  had  enjoyed,  and  the  good  people  we  had  met. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

WHAT  IS  JAPAN  LIKE  ? — ALL  WHO  VISITED  IT  CHARMED 
WITH  IT. — THE  GOVERNMENT  AND  PRINCES  CONDEMNED  BUT 
THE  COUNTRY  AND  PEOPLE  UNIVERSALLY  APPROVED  OF. — PRE- 
PARATIONS MADE  BY  GOVERNMENT  FOR  THE  RECEPTION  OF 
FOREIGNERS  AT  OPENING  OF  THE  PORT,  A  PROOF  OF  THE 
INTENTION  TO  ACT  UP  TO  TREATY  ENGAGEMENTS. — THE 
TYCOON'S  POWER  LIMITED  AS  AGAINST  THE  MOST  POWERFUL 

DAIMIOS. THE  COURT  NOBLES  JOIN  THE  DISAFFECTED  DAIMIOS. 

— THEIR  INFLUENCE  WITH  THE  MIKADO. — THE  YOUTH  OF  THE 
TYCOON  PREVENTS  VIGOUROUS  ACTION. — ENDEAVOUR  TO  OBEY 
THE  MIKADO  TO  THE  LETTER  ONLY. — OFFICIAL  INTERFERENCE 
TO  BUSINESS  BETWEEN  JAPANESE  AND  FOREIGNERS. — SILK  TO 

YOKOHAMA  RESTRICTED  IN  QUANTITY. SILKWORM  EGGS  SALE 

FORBIDDEN. — GENERAL  PUBLIC  MEETING  ON  THE  SUBJECT. — 
LETTER  TO  THE  CONSULS. — STEPS  TAKEN  BY  THE  CONSULAR 
BOARD,  AND  THE  REPLY  FROM  THE  CONSULS  TO  THE 
MERCHANTS. 

WHAT  like  a  country  is  Japan  ?  must  have  been  a 
question  very  frequently  put  to  those  whom  circumstances 
had  directed,  or  enabled,  to  visit  this  country  in  those 
days.  For  myself,  I  well  remember  the  kind  of 
hero  I  considered  a  gentleman  to  be,  who,  on  our 


248  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

becoming  acquainted  at  the  George  Hotel,  Ballarat, 
Victoria,  told  me  he  had  just  come  from  thence.  The 
newspapers  had,  during  the  preceding  three  years,  for 
this  \vas  in  1862,  been  frequently  doling  out  intelligence 
from  the  newty-opened  country,  both  as  to  its  present 
doings  and  past  history.  At  the  time  I  had  no  more 
idea  of  visiting  it,  than  I  had  of  fraternising  with  the  man 
in  the  moon.  Nothing  that  my  new  friend  told  me  im- 
parted to  me  any  special  desire  to  go  there ;  for,  at  the 
time  nay  thoughts  were  turned  in  a  totally  different  direc- 
tion. But  he  was  so  charmed  with  his  visit,  that  he 
spoke  of  the  country  and  the  people  with  a  kind  of 
enthusiasm  that  gave  an  additional  interest  to  all  he 
had  to  tell. 

Yet  he  was  here  when  many  of  these  troubles  that 
I  have  described  were  going  on.  I  do  not  remember 
that  he  mentioned  any  of  them.  His  one  idea 
seemed  to  be  that  there  was  no  country  like  Japan,  no 
people  like  the  Japanese.  He  told  of  the  feudal  customs ; 
of  the  daimios  and  their  retainers ;  of  the  open-hearted 
nature  of  the  people.  He  described  many  of  the 
peculiarities  that  came  especially  under  the  notice 
of  the  foreign  sojourners  in  Yokohama;  the  system 
of  ward  surveillance;  the  hi-no-ban,  or  native  night 
watch  :  the  fire  brigade  with  its  extraordinary  features  ; 
the  wrestlers ;  the  theatres  ;  the  tea-houses  ;  the  ex- 
cursions. He  did  not  omit  the  two-sworded  race.  And 
yet  he  had  nothing  to  say  of  the  danger  to  which 
life  was  exposed ;  nor  of  anything  else  that  would  have 
sobered  the  rose-tint  with  which  his  reminiscences  of 
Japan  were  coloured. 

And  so,  when  circumstances  directed  my  footsteps 
hither,  I  found  it  amongst  at  least  the  majority  of  the 
residents. 

The  sad  episode,  a  narrative  of  which  I  have  brought 


PIEST  IMPBESSIONS.  249 

to  a  conclusion,  had  just  been  closed ;  the  settlement  with 
Satsuma  brought  to  a  satisfactory  climax ;  when  I  arrived 
on  a  visit,  without  an  idea  of  becoming  a  permanent 
resident. 

I  found  plenty  of  trouble  on  hand,  between  the  for- 
eigners, the  native  Government,  and  the  native  chiefs. 
No  one  had  a  word  of  apology  for  the  former  of 
the  two  last-named  ;  and  every  one  a  deal  of  condemna- 
tion for  the  latter ;  and  yet  none  had  anything  but  good 
to  say  of  the  country  and  people  at  large. 

Merchants  complained,  and  that  loudly  and  constantly, 
of  the  obstructions  placed  in  the  way  of  business  by  the 
Japanese  officials,  as  well  as  of  the  absolute  impossibility 
of  making  the  Japanese  merchants  adhere  strictly  to  the 
terms  of  their  contracts;  and  yet  they  said  that  since 
they  were  doomed  to  live  away  from  home,  it  was  a  good 
providence  that  had  cast  their  lot  in  Japan.  As  to  my 
own  experience,  which  evidently  was  not  exceptional  but 
the  reverse,  I  admit  that  in  spite  of  all  that  I  daily 
heard — of  rom'ns ;  of  the  hatred  for  foreigners  ;  of  the 
hindrances  to  commerce ;  of  the  dangers  surrounding 
us ;  and  of  all  the  disagreeables  we  were  subject  to — I 
was  simply  charmed,  fascinated,  and  content  to  believe 
that  life  was  all  that  it  appeared  to  be  on  the  surface. 

Alas  !  while  such  were  the  feelings  operating  with  the 
most  of  us,  amid  all  those  scenes  that  seemed  to  picture 
the  primeval  innocence  of  Eden,  what  deeds  of  darkness 
—what  Cain-like  treachery — were  enacted !  But  there  is 
time  enough  to  tell  of  those  deeds.  In  this  chapter  let 
me  speak  on  other  points. 

In  the  early  chapters  of  this  narrative,  it  has  been  told 
how  great  were  the  preparations  for  the  arrival  of 
foreign  merchants  in  anticipation  of  the  opening  of  the 
ports. 

To  my  mind  this  was  always  a  proof  that  the  Tycoon's 

VOL.    I  EE 


250  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

Government  intended  honestly  to  act  up  to  all  its  engage- 
ments with  us.  No  one  surely  could  foresee  such  a 
series  of  casualties  as  arose  from  the  fact  of  their  making 
treaties  with  us  ;  and  increased  in  consequence  of  their 
steadfastly  doing  all  in  their  power  to  be  loyal  to  their 
engagements. 

But  how  rugged  was  the  path  they  cut  out  for  them- 
selves the  preceding  chapters  must  have  revealed.  The 
powers  of  the  Shogunate,  which  had  never  hefore  been 
questioned,  were  more  than  questioned  now.  Boldly 
men  stood  forward,  indifferent  to  consequences,  and 
asserted  their  acts  to  be  illegal.  And  although  they  who 
did  so,  were  obliged  deferentially  to  submit  to  the  punish- 
ment awarded  to  them,  yet  the  Shoguns  hesitated  to  take 
the  lives  of  the  greatest  of  them,  for  they  felt  that  there 
was  a  line  beyond  which  even  they  dare  not  go.  Such 
men  as  YOBITOMO,  the  first  and  third  ASHIKAGA,  IYEYAS' 
and  IYEMITZ',  amongst  Shoguns,  and  NOBUNAGA  and 
HIDEYOSHI  (TAIKO-SAMA)  amongst  those  who  exercised  the 
powers,  without  receiving  the  title,  of  Shogun,  would  pro- 
bably have  made  short  work  of  any  who  should  so  openly 
oppose  them  ;  but  they  were  resolute  men,  whose  position 
had  been  won  by  the  sword ;  and  whose  authority  must  be 
maintained  by  it.  Tycoons  since  1853  were  boys  with- 
out the  requisite  personal  experience,  ambition  or  energy 
and  those  who  acted  for  them  had  not  the  daring  necessary 
to  take  extreme  measures  against  such  men  as  MITO, 
SATSUMA  and  CHOSHIU. 

But  there  was  another  element  opposed  to  them. 
Hitherto  the  kuges  or  nobles  of  the  Mikado's  Court, 
though  holding  rank  in  the  country  superior  to  that  of 
the  Shogun  himself  (until  invested  with  special  rank 
by  the  Mikado) — but  without  an  atom  of  power — had 
kept  quiescent  in  all  affairs  of  state.  The  opening  of  the 
ports  aroused  them.  They  willingly  allied  themselves 


ACTION  OF  THE  KUGE.  251 

with  the  discontented  daimios,  and,  having  the  ear  of 
the  Mikado,  easily  influenced  him  in  favour  of  those  who 
made  their  cause  the  resuscitation  of  his  ancient 
authority.  The  Tycoon  was  all-powerful  so  long  as  he 
had  the  Mikado  on  his  side.  With  him  arrayed  with 
his  enemies  against  him,  he  was  impotent.  Now, 
when  he  saw  that  the  Mikado  was  opposed  to  him,  his 
mind  had  to  Le  made  up.  He  must  either  obey  the 
imperial  orders ;  or  he  must  buckle  on  his  armour, 
boldly  summon  his  faithful  daimios,  hatamotos,  and 
their  attendant  hosts,  and  take  the  field,  as  some  of  his 
predecessors  had  done.  He  would  have  had  to  tread  the 
bloody  path  over  which  YOEITOMO  strode  to  power ;  to 
have  met  his  foes  as  YORITSUNE  did  when  GOTOBA-NO-!N, 
the  82nd  emperor,  collected  an  army  and  sent  it  against 
him  to  destroy  him,  and  recover  the  lost  rule ;  or  to 
boldly  set  the  Mikadomc  word  at  defiance,  and  like 
ASHIKAGA  TAKA-UJI,  proclaim  his  own  sovereignty  ;  drive 
before  him  all  who  might  be  sent  against  him  ;  and, 
if  necessary,  proclaim  another  emperor. 

But  such  things  could  not  be  expected  of  mere  youths ; 
and  there  were  none  left  to  act  thus  vigorously  on  their 
behalf.  All  that  could  be  done  now  was,  to  receive  the 
imperial  commands ;  to  obey  where  obedience  was 
practicable  ;  and  passively  to  let  the  rest  go  by  default. 

I  have  described  how  they  strove  to  obey  the  orders 
received  from  Kioto  to  the  letter,  by  sending  in  the 
communication  signed  by  OGASAWARA,  announcing  their 
desire  to  close  the  ports.  We  shall  presently  see  that 
the  spirit  they  never  had  any  intention  of  acting  up  to. 

But  in 'one  respect  they  more  than  once  did  appear 
anxious  to  jdeld  obedience  negatively  if  not  positively. 
Their  orders  were  to  drive  out  foreigners.  That  they  could 
not  do.  The  treaties  also  provided  that  the  Government 
should  exercise  no  official  interference  in  dealings  between 


252  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

native  and  foreign  merchants.  But  the  treaties  did  not 
say  that  they  should  not  put  any  restrictions  they  liked 
on  the  sending  merchandise  to  the  open  ports ;  nor  make 
any  provision  facilitating  the  shipment  of  goods  pur- 
chased of  native  merchants. 

Accordingly  we  find  them  using  both  these  kinds 
of  active  and  passive  hindrances  to  business;  doubt- 
less with  the  hope  of  starving  as  out.  The  quantity 
of  silk  sent  to  Yokohama  was  greatly  restricted;  the 
sale  of  silkworm's  eggs  to  foreigners  strictly  for- 
bidden ;  and  the  inconvenience  arising  to  merchants 
from  the  insufficient  supply  of  cargo-boats  and  other 
causes  was  so  great  that  a  General  Public  Meeting  of  all 
the  residents  was  hekl  at  the  residence  of  Mr.  S.  MAINE, 
(representative  of  Messrs.  FLETCHEE  &  Co.),  "  for  the 
purpose  of  considering  a  letter  to  the  Consuls  on  sundry 
matters  of  loss  and  inconvenience  now  suffered  by  the 
community  at  the  hands  of  the  Japanese  Government, 
upon  which  remonstrance  has  long  been  called  for  and 
frequently  made  in  vain." 

The   following  is   the   letter    that   was   sent    to  the 

Consuls  : — 

Yokohama,  21st  August,  1863. 
GENTLEMEN, 

We  the  undersigned,  members  of  the  Foreign  Com- 
munity of  Yokohama,  considering  the  present  an  op- 
portune moment  for  again  bringing  before  your  notice 
grievances  that  have  been  repeatedly  and  in  vain  urged 
upon  the  notice  of  the  Japanese  Authorities,  beg  to 
recall  your  attention  to  the  following  points  in  which  we 
consider  that  we  have  a  right  to  look  for  improvement. 

One  of  the  principal  causes  of  complaint,  which  has 
been  prominently  brought  forward  on  several  o'ccasions, 
is  the  general  insufficiency  of  the  Custom  House  system, 
especially  as  regards  cargo-boats  and  coolies,  which  are 
a  Government  monopoly,  and  the  mal-admmistration  of 
which  is  a  constant  and  unnecessary  impediment  to 
trade. 


LETTER  OF  THE  COMMUNITY  TO  THE  CONSULS.      253 

The  cargo-boats  are  inadequate  in  number,  and 
defective  in  construction  and  capacity,  for  the  require- 
ments of  the  increasing  trade  of  Yokohama.  They  are 
open  and  slightly  built,  and  altogether  their  construction 
is  such  that  goods  cannot  be  entrusted  to  them  with 
safety  except  in  fair  weather  only. 

This  grievance  has  lately  become  so  pressing,  and  an 
improvement  is  now  so  absolutely  necessaiy,  that  it  is 
seriously  contemplated  by  the  community  to  form  among 
themselves  a  cargo-boat  Company,  under  Foreign  super- 
intendence, that,  self-supporting,  shall  carry  out  the 
necessary  objects,  which  under  the  present  system  can- 
not be  obtained.  The  community  would  therefore  be 
glad  to  know  if  such  a  scheme  would  meet  your  cordial 
cooperation  and  assistance,  or  if  you  would  impress  upon 
the  Japanese  Government  the  absolute  necessity  of 
changing  the  present  system  and  of  introducing  one 
similar  to  that  in  contemplation  by  the  community.  If 
the  Japanese  Government  [is  willing  to  undertake  the 
proper  management  of  a  cargo-boat  system,  the  com- 
munity will  lay  before  you  the  plans  and  estimates  they 
have  already  provided  themselves  with  for  that  purpose. 

Another  serious  cause  of  complaint  and  by  no  means 
inferior  to  the  foregoing,  is  the  fact  that  the  community 
cannot  employ  coolies,  except  from,  or  with  the  permis- 
sion of,  the  coolie-masters  who  form  part  of  the  Custom- 
house establishment.  It  has  frequently  happened  that 
coolies  have  been  applied  for  and  not  obtained,  and  this 
at  a  time  when  there  were  large  numbers  of  coolies  who 
would  have  been  glad  to  have  obtained  employment  if 
they  had  dared  to  do  so  without  being  told  off  for  such  a 
duty  by  the  Custom  House.  As  an  instance  of  this 
monopoly  of  coolies,  the  community  would  beg  to  bring 
to  your  notice,  that  on  the  moment  of  the  payment  of 
the  indemnity  to  the  English  Government,  a  double  rate 
of  hire  was  demanded  and  obtained  by  the  coolie  masters, 
without  the  participation  by  the  coolies  themselves  in 
such  an  increased  rate.  The  increased  rate  continues  to 
the  present  moment,  notwithstanding  the  promise  made 
by  the  Governor  of  Kanagawa,  to  the  Consuls,  that  this 
abuse  should  be  discontinued. 

The  community  would  also  beg  to  call  your  attention 
to  the  non-compliance  on  the  part  of  the  Japanese,  of 


254  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

their  obligations  with  respect  to  land-renters,  accepted  by 
the  native  authorities  at  the  time  of  the  signature  of  the 
title-deeds. 

One  of  strong  reasons  urged  for  fixing  so  exorbitant  a 
ground-rent,  was  that  the  Japanese  Government  had 
pledged  itself  to  keep  the  streets  and  drains  in  thorough 
repair,  and  to  form  a  bund  in  front  of  the  Settlement. 
The  latter,  after  the  expiration  of  a  long  period,  has  been 
completed ;  but  now  that  it  is  completed  they  have  com- 
menced to  build  outside  it;  a  precedent  that  if  not 
protested  against  might  be  carried  out  to  any  extent  all 
along  the  Bund. 

It  is  stated  that  the  projected  buildings  on  the  Bund 
are  intended  for  Bonded  warehouses.  If  such  is  the  case 
their  position  is  ill-suited  and  their  size  is  far  too  small 
for  the  purpose  intended.  But  we  would  strongly  urge 
upon  you  the  fact,  that  the  system  of  bonded  warehouses 
would  not  meet  the  requirements  of  a  commercial  com- 
munity in  the  same  way  as  a  system  of  drawbacks, 
similar  to  that  organised,  and  for  so  long  a  time  in 
successful  operation,  in  China. 

With  regard  to  the  promise  of  keeping  the  streets  and 
drains  in  thorough  repair,  it  is  notorious  to  every  one 
that  up  to  the  present  moment  there  has  been  no  system 
of  drainage  whatsoever.  Within  the  last  few  days,  some 
open  gutters,  probably  intended  to  supply  the  place  of 
drains,  have  been  commenced :  but  as  these  are  in  no 
way  adapted  for  carrying  away  the  refuse  of  the  settle- 
ment, the  community  would  respectfully  suggest  that 
their  construction  should  be  discontinued  until  a  com- 
petent Engineer  could  be  obtained  from  China  for  the 
purpose  of  carrying  out  a  proper  system.  The  expenses 
of  providing  such  an  engineer  would  be  willingly  under- 
taken by  the  community. 

Before  concluding  we  would  beg  to  call  your  attention 
to  a  most  glaring  instance  of  obstruction  to  trade.  A 
restriction  has  been  placed  on  the  free  introduction  of 
Silk  to  Yokohama.  Not  more  than  fifty  piculs  per  diem 
are  allowed  to  be  brought  in  to  this  market.  This  has 
already  begun  to  tell  upon  the  small  native  merchants, 
who  are  loud  in  their  complaints,  and  who  declare  that  it 
will  ere  long  be  the  cause  of  their  ruin. 
We  would  strongly  urge  upon  you  the  necessity  of 


REPLY  RESPECTING  THE  SILK  SUPPLY.        255 

sifting  this  matter  to  the  bottom,  and  of  supplying  an 
immediate  remedy,  if  possible ;  especially  as  'we  are 
assured  by  the  Japanese  merchants  themselves,  that  any 
protest  on  the  part  of  the  Consuls  would  be  followed  by 
immediate  reparation. 

We  have  the  honor  to  be,  Gentlemen, 

Your  most  obedient  humble  Servants, 
[Signed  by  the  greater  part  of  the  Foreign   Com- 
munity.] 

[Addressed  to  all  the  Consuls.] 

Immediate  steps  were  taken  by  the  Board  of  Consuls 
to  bring  the  subject  under  the  notice  of  the  diplomatic 
representatives,  and  a  month  later  H.  B.  M.'s  Consul 
sent  the  following  reply  as  regards  the  silk  supply : — 

"  The  undersigned  was  this  day  informed  by  the 
Governor  of  Kanagawa,  that  instructions  have  been 
received  from  Yedo,  to  the  effect  that  measures  had  been 
taken,  to  render  the  conveyance  of  silk  to  this  settlement 
from  to-morrow  and  the  day  following,  as  unrestricted  as 
it  was  prior  to  the  supposed  restriction. 

"  The  undersigned,  who  was  further  authorised  by  the 
Governor  to  communicate  the  above  to  the  British 
mercantile  community,  hopes  the  event  may  fulfil  the 
assurance. 

(Signed)        CHARLES  A.  WINCHESTEB. 
H.  B.  M.'s  Consul 

24th  September,  1863. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

MEETINGS  OF  THE  GREAT  DAIMIOS  IN  YEDO  AND  KIOTO. — 
REPORT  OF  ONE  OF  THEM. — RUMOUR  OF  THE  CONFINEMENT  OF 

THE  TYCOON. OGASAWARA's  EXPEDITION  TO  RELEASE  HIM. — 

OGASAWARA  ADVANCES  TO  FUSHIMI,  BUT  FINDING  THE  RUMOUR 
TO  BE  UNTRUE,  RETURNS  TO  OSAKA. — DISMISSED  FROM  THE 
GOROJIU,  AND  ORDERED  TO  BE  CONFINED  IN  THE  TYCOON'S 
CASTLE. — CORRESPONDENCE  BETWEEN  THE  TYCOON'S  GOVERN- 
MENT AND  THE  FOREIGN  REPRESENTATIVES. — THE  FRENCH 
MINISTER'S  SUGGESTIONS. — DISTRESSING  NEWS  FROM  OSAKA 
OF  THE  ASSASSINATION  OF  MERCHANTS. — NOTICES  POSTED  IN 
KIOTO  AND  OSAKA  FORBIDDING  MERCHANTS  TO  DO  BUSINESS 
WITH  FOREIGNERS. — LETTER  FROM  THE  MINISTERS  OF  FOREIGN 
AFFAIRS  TO  DR.  WINCHESTER. — AMUSEMENTS. — BAD  NEWTS 
FROM  NAGASAKI. — MURDER  OF  LIEUT.  CAMUS. — GOROJIU  EX- 
PRESSES ITS  REGRET  TO  THE  FRENCH  MINISTER. — OPENING  OF 
THE  ENGLISH  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH. — ANOTHER  BRANCH  BANK 
ESTABLISHED. — EFFECTS  OF  THE  PRESENCE  OF  THE  ALLIED 
SQUADRON. — FOREIGN  SAILORS  AND  THE  JAPANESE. 

I  HAVE  mentioned  the  meetings  of  the  great  daimios 
that  took  place  in  Yedo  and  Kioto.  It  is  not  certain  how 
these  were  conducted ;  but  the  following  is  from  a  report 
of  one  of  them : — - 


ADDRESS  FROM  OWARI.  257 

<{  At  the  principal  of  these  meetings,  the  Gosanke  (or 
three  families  from  whom  the  Tycoon  can  be  chosen, — 
OWAEI,  MITO  and  KI-SIU)  were  represented.  OWARI  was 
the  principal  speaker  and  the  Minister  MIDZUNO  IDZUMI- 
NO-KAMI  repeated,  word  for  word,  the  phrases  used  by  him, 
to  the  daimios  around. 

'  OWAEI  spoke  to  this  effect : — 

'  During  the  last  400  years  our  country  had  enjoyed  the 
the  calm  and  sweets  of  peace,  until  in  the  year  of 
Tempo,  [?  Perry]  there  came  the  foreign  ships  from  the 
West,  constantly  appearing  on  our  coasts.  Recently, 
when  it  appeared  probable  that  war  would  arise  I  [we] 
demanded  of  the  daimios  and  the  hatamotos  if  they  were 
ready  and  could  sustain  it.  All  replied  that  they  had 
not  arms  and  were  not  prepared  for  the  combat.  The 
Mikado  and  the  Tycoon  told  them  this  should  not  be  so. 
For  five  years  hence  there  is  no  fear  of  war.  During 
this  interval  you  must  make  all  preparation.  Up  to  the 
present  time  you  have  passed  your  existence  in  pleasure, 
playing  the  samisen  and  drinking  sake.  Now  in 
the  prospect  of  wrar  you  must  change  all  this.  During 
the  next  five  years  only  have  heart  for  the  work.  Perfect 
yourselves  in  the  use  of  the  sword  and  the  lance,  and  the 
exercise  of  the  musket.  If  you  have  not  money  we  will 
provide  you  with  it ;  to  those  of  you  who  do  not  possess 
10,000  kokus  we  will  lend  up  to  the  amount  of  40,000 
itchibus.  You  can  then  buy  all  you  want  for  the  war, 
arms,  swords,  bows,  muskets,  lances.  But  you  shall 
show  all  you  purchase  to  an  agent  we  will  appoint, 
that  we  may  judge  the  price  you  have  paid  for 
them." 

'•After  the  sitting  was  closed,  on  the  same  day,  MIDZUNO 
IDZUMI-NO-KAMI  reproduced  this  discourse  to  all  the 
hatamotos,  and  the  day  following  the  two  documents, 
were  sent  to  every  Governor  and  to  all  the  heads  of  Police 
to  be  distributed  through  all  Japan.' 

NOTICE. 

'  To  all  the  inhabitants  of  Yedo,  and  all  other  places  in 
Japan, — who  know  the  use  of  the  musket,  the  exercise  of 
the  lance  and  the  sword : — to  ronins  and  the  inhabitants 
of  the  mountains. 

'  If  there  are  any  amongst  you  who  are  capable  of  bear- 
ing arms,  let  them  make  themselves  known  to  the  Go-  • 

VOL.   I  FF 


258  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

vemors  of  Police,  and  they  will  be  employed  at  the  fol- 
lowing rates. 

4  For  men  of  the  first  selection,  400  itchibus,  and  200 
sacks  of  rice  per  year. 

'  For  men  of  the  second  rank,  200  itchibus,  and  100 
sacks  of  rice  a  year. 

'  For  all  others,  120  itchibus  and  70  sacks  of  rice.' 

2ND    ClKCULAR. 

'  To  all  those  who  are  versed  in  the  art  of  making 
arms,  guns  and  cannon,  swords,  lances,  and  all  things 
used  in  war. 

'  If  you  will  come  to  us  you  shall  be  engaged  on  very 
advantageous  terms." 

Towards  the  end  of  the  month  of  June,  a  report 
reached  Ycdo  that  the  Tycoon  was  in  durance  rile  at 
Kioto.  It  was  therefore  resolved  that  OGASAWARA  should 
go  down  to  Osaka  with  an  armed  force  to  free  him  from 
such  an  ignominious  position  and  bring  him  to  Yedo. 

Two  British  steamers,  the  Elgin  and  the  Eajah,  were 
chartered  for  the  purpose  of  conveying  him  and  his 
troops  to  Osaka.  Having  landed  they  marched  as  far 
as  Fushinii  on  the  road  to  Kioto;  but  here  they  not 
only  heard  that  there  was  no  restraint  beyond  the 
Mikado's  orders,  upon  the  Tycoon ;  but  also  that  the 
enraged  samurai  had  resolved  to  capture  and  imprison 
OGASAWARA  himself  as  soon  as  he  reached  the  metropolis. 
Under  these  circumstances  he  turned  back  to  Osaka ; 
and  shortly  afterwards,  at  the  close  of  a  public  document 
notifying  the  appointment  of  certain  daimios  as  guards 
of  the  different  gates  of  the  Imperial  residence,  occurs 
this  short  sentence  : — 

"  As  to  OGASAWARA  DZUSHO-NO-KAMI,  the  Tycoon  thinks 
fit  to  remove  him  from  office. 
By  order  of  the  Tycoon  at  Kioto, 

(Signed)          IDZUMI-NO-KAMI. 

"  OGASAWARA  DZUSHO-NO-KAMI  is  placed  in  confinement 
in  the  Tycoon's  castle  at  Osaka," 


BAD  NEWS  FROM  OSAKA.  259 

In  September  certain  correspondence  took  place  be- 
tweeen  the  foreign  representatives  and  the  Tycoon's 
Government. 

Allusion  was  first  made  to  the  dismissal  of  OGASAWAKA 
from  office,  and  a  hope  was  expressed  that  the  disgrace 
of  this  minister  almost  immediately  after  the  sending  in 
the  letter  as  to  the  closing  of  the  ports,  would  be  followed 
by  the  withdrawal  of  the  letter  itself. 

A  separate  letter  of  the  French  Minister  impressively 
speaks  of  the  "good  feeling  and  friendship  evinced 
by  the  Foreign  Governments  towards  Japan,"  and 
warns  the  ministry  of  the  injurious  effects  of  a  rupture 
of  these  good  relations,  and  the  serious  responsibility  of 
those  who  shall  work  to  this  end.  He  then  points  out 
the  necessary  steps  that  should  be  taken  to  avert  such  a 
calamity  from  the  empire,  and  suggests  : — 

"1. — That  the  Tycoon  should  declare  the  letter  of 
OGASAWAEA  to  be  withdrawn,  and  the  treaties  in  full  force. 

"2. — That  the  Tycoon  should  repress  all  aggression,  and 
procure  complete  satisfaction  for  the  outrages  committed 
on  Foreign  flags. 

"3. — That  the  Tycoon  should  engage  to  protect  For- 
eigners in  their  persons,  their  property  and  their  trade. 
And 

"Lastly,  that  he  shall  guard  and  endeavour  to  promote 
the  extension  of  relations  between  Japan  and  foreign 
countries,  especially  in  respect  to  the  opening  of  Osaka 
and  Hiogo." 

The  reply  of  the  Government  was  very  carefully 
worded  ;  but  it  gave  little  or  no  indication  of  their  future 
policy. 

News  now  came  from  Osaka  of  a  very  distressing 
character.  Several  assassinations  had  taken  place,  the 
victims  being  merchants  of  the  higher  class,  having  large 
trading  relations  with  Yokohama  merchants.  Of  course 
these  murders  were  attributed  to  the  ronins  ;  and  no 
doubt  with  justice. 


260  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

Notices  appeared  both  in  Kioto  and  Osaka  to  this 
effect : — 

"  The  Tycoon  has  secret  dealings  with  the  foreigners 
with  the  aid  of  our  wicked  merchants  who  do  business 
with  them.  These  merchants  go  to  Yokohama,  sell 
everything — silk,  tea  and  other  produce  :  so  that  all 
products  are  very  dear,  and  the  people  much  troubled.  If 
we  do  not  take  care  all  will  be  oppressed.  We  are 
charged  to  punish  these  merchants.  You  who  may  owe 
money  to  Yokohama  traders,  do  not  pay  them  ;  and  if 
they  complain  to  the  officers  at  Yedo,  have  no  fear  on 
that  account — say  that  you  will  cause  them  to  be  cut  in 
pieces. 

"Koshiu,  Oshiu,  Shinshiu  merchants — merchants  from 
all  the  silk  provinces,  see  to  this  notice.  Take  care  that 
you  send  no  silk,  tea  or  cotton,  to  Yedo.  If  you  dis- 
regard this,  you,  3^our  children  and  all  your  relations  will 
be  crushed." 

The  placard  was  only  signed: — ''The  executors  of 
justice."  Kightly  or  wrongly  it  !was  said  to  have  official 
sanction. 

It  is  amusing,  after  perusing  the  letter  of  Dr. 
WINCHESTER,  on  the  subject  of  the  removal  of  all  obstruc- 
tions to  the  entry  of  silk  into  the  settlement,  which  letter 
was  dated  September  24th,  to  read  the  following  received 
by  the  Consul  on  the  4th  October  from  the  Ministers  for 
Foreign  Affairs  in  reply  to  a  letter  written  by  Dr. 
WINCHESTEK  on  the  26th  September. 

"  We  have  received  your  despatch  No.  38  dated  26th 
September.  We  have  fully  understood  what  you  have 
communicated  respecting  the  scarcity  of  Silk. 

An  order  has  been  given  to  the  different  departments 
regarding  the  export  thereof ;  and  thus  there  is  no  reason 
whatever  that  there  should  be  any  restriction,  as  you 
make  mention  of  in  your  despatches,  for  any  article  at 
all. 

But  as  the  trade  in  Silk  is  flourishing  from  day  to  day, 
we  are  of  opinion,  that  it  is  a  ruse  of  some  person  (or 
persons),  who,  in  order  to  make  large  profits  have  bought 


RONINS  AT  NAGASAKI.  261 

up  all  the  Silk,  and  then,  by  spreading  such  reports  as 
you  mention,  unsettle  the  Foreigners,  and  thus  expect  to 
gain  their  object. 

Whatever  may  be  the  cause,  we  have  taken  the  above 
into  mature  consideration,  and  have  given  the  necessary 
instructions  to  the  proper  authorities,  and  we  therefore 
think  that  the  sale  of  Silk  will  shortly  take  place  in  a 
proper  way,  and  that  either  yesterday  or  to-day  there 
will  have  been  some  signs  of  it. 

We  now  trust  that  you  will  believe  that  what  we  have 
stated  is  true. 

With  respect  &c., 

(Signed)  Minister  for  Foreign  Affairs. 

4th  October  1863. 

The  monotony  of  social  life  was  broken  about  this 
time,  by  the  arrival  of  some  musical  artists  from 
Australia.  They  were  Miss  BAILEY,  Mr.  MABQUIS 
CHISHOLM,  Mr.  SIPP  and  Signor  EOBBIO — the  last-named 
a  violinist  of  exceeding  merit. 

And  while  the  fleet  was  lying  inactive  in  the  harbour, 
a  capital  two  days  regatta  was  got  up  (5th  and  6th 
October)  which  was  the  forerunner  of  many  such 
amusements. 

But  the  sweet  and  bitter  were  strangely  mingled. 
From  Nagasaki  tidings  came  that  the  Governor  had 
waited  on  the  British  Consul  and  warned  him  that 
a  number  of  ronins  had  arrived  from  Choshiu's  territory, 
who,  enraged  at  the  retribution  that  had  recently  fallen 
upon  that  clan,  were  expected  to  attack  the  foreign 
settlement.  He  urged  that  no  foreigner  should  enter  the 
town  after  dark,  or  go  from  home  unarmed.  A  meeting 
of  the  residents  was  held,  at  which  it  was  arranged  that 
a  strong  guard  of  sailors  from  H.  M.  Ss.  Leopard  and 
Eattler,  then  in  port,  should  patrol  the  settlement. 

And  Yokohama  was  once  more  the  scene  of  active 
sorrow.  If  I  only  tell  of  the  actual  deaths  that  were 


262  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

occasioned  by  the  attacks  of  the  cruel  cowards — cruel, 
for  their  assaults  could  do  no  good,  being  on  single 
individuals,  and  were  of  a  nature  that  showed,  by  the 
number  of  mortal  wounds,  the  desperate  hatred  by  which 
they  were  moved ;  and  cowardly,  for  their  attacks  were 
always  made  from  behind — if,  I  say,  I  should  tell  only  of 
actual  murders,  the  list  were  sad  enough ;  but  should 
I  tell  of  the  occasions  on  which  foreigners  were  wantonly 
threatened,  and  escaped,  they  hardly  knew  how,  the 
pluck  of  the  members  of  the  young  community,  in 
sticking  to  the  place  and  making  light  of  the  atrocities 
they  had  ever  to  be  prepared  for,  would  appear  even 
more  remarkable.  Within  a  few  days,  a  lady  and 
gentleman,  quietly  walking  close  to  the  town  were 
threatened,  and  a  gentleman  riding  a  fine  stud-bred 
horse  on  the  hill  leading  to  the  Bluff  was  actually  at- 
tacked, within  hail  of  the  guard  of  the  British  Legation, 
and  only  escaped  by  the  spirit  of  his  steed.  And  now, 
four  weeks  after  the  anniversary  of  the  tragedy  on  the 
Tokaido,  another  barbarous  murder  has  to  be  recorded. 

About  4  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  of  the  15th  October, 
news  was  convej^d  to  the  various  consulates  that  "the 
body  of  a  foreigner  had  been  discovered  at  the  village 
of  Hodogaya  on  the  Tokaido,  about  3£  miles  distant 
from  the  settlement. 

Mr.  VON  BEANDT,  the  Prussian  Consul,  with  Lieut. 
APPLIN  and  the  Military  Train  Escort,  immediately  went 
to  the  spot  indicated,  and  the  French  Escort  quickly 
followed. 

Mr.  BLECKMAN,  of  the  French  Legation,  proceeded 
with  two  Chasseurs  by  the  country  road,  traversing  the 
plain  at  the  back  of  the  settlement,  intending  to  cross 
the  hilly  ridge  that  separates  this  plain  from  that  along 
which  the  Tokaido  runs.  On  coming,  however,  to  a 
small  bridge  at  the  turning  off  of  the  pathway  that  leads 


MURDER  OF  LIEUTENANT  CAMUS.  263 

to  Kanasawa,  at  a  distance  of  only  a  little  over  a  mile 
from  Yokohama,  they,  with  Colonel  FISHEK,  U.  S.  Consul, 
Dr.  JENKINS,  and  some  Japanese  mounted  officers,  whom 
they  overtook,  came  suddenly  upon  the  hody  of  the 
murdered  man.  It  was  lying  across  the  narrow  bridle- 
road  they  would  have  had  to  travel,  about  twenty  yards 
beyond  the  bridge  ;  and  to  their  horror  they  recognised  it 
to  be  the  horribly  mutilated  body  of  Lieut.  CAMUS,  a 
sub-Lieut  of  the  3rd  battalion  of  the  Chasseurs  d'Afrique. 
On  examination  of  the  corpse,  the  sight  that  met  their 
view  was  appalling  indeed.  Some  twenty  wounds  had 
been  inflicted,  most  of  which  were  sufficient  to  cause 
death.  The  bridle-arm  had  been  severed  from  the 
trunk,  with  a  portion  of  the  reins  yet  in  hand ;  and  this 
was  found  ten  paces  from  the  body. 

The  assassin  was  never  discovered.  There  was  no 
one  to  describe  how  the  foul  deed  was  done ;  for  CAMUS  was 
taking  a  quiet  country  ride  alone.  He  was  one  of  the 
most  enthusiastic  admirers  of  the  country  and  its  people. 
The  idea  of  going  out  armed  with  a  revolver  was  quite 
foreign  to  him.  His  confidence  in  them  was  complete. 
And  he  met  his  reward.  The  immediate  result  of  this 
was,  that  Admiral  JUAEES  landed  a  number  of  men, 
planted  the  'tricolor'  on  the  Bluff  commanding  the 
settlement,  and  declared  he  would  hold  it  for  the  protec- 
tion of  foreigners. 

Directly  the  news  reached  Yedo,  the  Gorojiu  com- 
municated to  Mons.  DE  BELLECOURT  their  deep  regret  at 
the  occurrence,  and  promised  to  use  every  effort  to  find 
the  perpetrators  of  the  diabolical  crime. 

Let  me  pass  on.  Are  my  readers  as  weary  of  reading 
of  these  deeds  as  I  am  of  recording  them  ?  Then  I  will 
pause  awhile  and  adopt  another  strain — but  alas  !  I 
shall  yet  have  to  return  to  the  minor  key  more  than 
once  before  my  task  is  ended. 


264  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

On  the  18th  October,  the  English  Episcopal  Church, 
under  the  name  of  Christ  Church,  was  opened  for  Divine 
service,  which  had  hitherto  been  held,  first  in  the  private 
parlour  of  the  British  Consul's  residence,  and  sub- 
sequently in  the  Court  room  of  H.  B.  M.'s  Consulate.  The 
new  edifice  was  46  feet  long  by  30  broad,  and  was 
calculated  to  seat  from  800  to  850  persons.  Its  cost  was 
about  $2,800  (£700).  The  REVEREND  M.  BUCKWORTH 
BAILEY,  M.  A.,  had  arrived  from  home,  with  the  appoint- 
ment of  H.  M.'s  Consular  Chaplain,  some  time  before. 
The  actual  consecration  of  the  building  did  not  take 
place  until  some  years  afterwards,  when  Bishop  ALFORD, 
of  Hongkong,  being  in  Yokohama  on  a  visit,  performed 
the  ceremony. 

A  third  Bank  opened  a  branch  in  Yokohama  this 
month — the  Commercial  Bank  of  India — under  the 
temporary  charge  of  Mr.  J.  W.  Me  LELLAN  ;  but  after  a 
trial  of  about  three  years,  this,  and  the  Central  Bank  of 
Western  India  closed  their  branches  here,  and  retired 
from  the  field. 

The  presence  of  the  allied  squadrons,  now  always 
amounting  to  from  twenty  to  twenty-four  men-of-war, 
made  Yokohama  comparatively  gay.  Theatrical  per- 
formances were  got  up  both  by  the  French  and  English 
services  ;  and  nothing  could  exceed  the  cordiality  existing 
between  the  fleets  and  the  shore.  One  disadvantage 
arose  to  the  community  from  the  presence  of  so  many 
seamen,  who  used  by  turns  to  be  allowed  ashore  in  large 
numbers  every  day :  and  that  was,  the  springing  up  of  a 
great  number  of  grog-shops,  which  in  certain  localities 
became  sometimes  troublesome.  It  is,  however,  wonderful 
how  rarely  there  was  any  serious  quarrelling  either 
among  the  foreign  sailors  themselves,  or  with  the 
Japanese.  When  JACK  got  his  stores  aboard  he  was 
often  enough  as  obstrepolous  as  is  his  wont ;  but  the 


THE  JAPANESE  AND  JACK  ASHORE.  265 

Japanese  seemed  to  take  kindly  to  him,  and  to  receive  all 
his  roughness  with  rare  good  humour.  The  Japanese 
themselves  are  anything  but  tea-totalers.  Whatever  may 
be  said  about  western  ships  conveying  to  the  unsophis- 
tocated  islanders  of  the  Pacific,  "  missionaries  and  rum," 
the  Japanese  had  not  to  be  taught  the  art  of  toping.  It 
would  be  well,  however,  for  foreign  sailors  and  others  who 
indulge  publicly,  if  they  would  take  a  lesson  out  of  their 
book.  When  in  his  cups  a  Japanese  of  the  commoner 
class  is  a  model  of  good  humour.  I  cannot  altogether 
say  as  much  for  the  old  fighting  men ;  for  the  ruling 
passion  came  out  in  them,  and  they  were  no  better  than 
they  should  be.  The  commoner,  however,  never  having 
thoughts  of  violence  in  his  mind  ordinarily,  they  do  not 
appear  to  come  to  him  when  the  wine  is  in  an<J  the  wit 
out.  They  carry  on  in  their  joyous,  happy-go-lucky  way, 
and  are  no  more  to  be  feared  than  when  they  are  sober. 

There  were  two  or  three  occasions  when  the  conduct  of 
foreign  sailors  was  beyond  endurance,  and  they  had  to 
pay  the  penalty.  Although  I  shall  have  to  mention  these 
in  their  proper  places,  I  do  not  class  them  with  the  savage 
assaults  I  have  previously  had  to  dwell  upon. 

It  is  really  marvellous  that  trouble  did  not  frequently 
arise  between  the  natives  and  the  service  men ;  for  there 
was  just  the  same  de'il-may-care-ishness  on  the  part  of 
the  latter,  that  distinguishes  them  the  world  over. 
Besides  the  grog-shops,  there  arose  a  number  of  livery- 
stables  where  ponies  were  provided  with  an  especial  view 
to  help  JACK  in  getting  rid  of  some  of  his  surplus  dollars. 
It  was  one  of  the  most  favourite  ways  of  chasing  the 
happy  hours  away,  of  the  few  that  were  open  to  the 
holiday-makers  ;  and  it  often  required  all  the  good  nature 
their  own  countrymen  could  muster,  on  the  consideration 
that  a  little  exuberance  of  spirits  might  be  allowed  to 
men  freed  for  a  few  hours  from  the  long  and  strict  dis- 

VOL.  i  i  GO 


266  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

cipline  of  ship-board,  to  pardon  the  vagaries  of  the  un- 
accustomed equestrians.  But  though  they  galloped 
through  the  streets,  endangering  life  and  limb,  and  not 
unfrequently  causing  severe  injuries  in  their  course,  few 
complaints  were  laid  against  them ;  and  there  seemed  to 
be  no  disinclination  on  the  part  of  the  Japanese  to 
fraternise  with  them. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

ANOTHER  ATTEMPT  TO  YIELD  OBEDIENCE  TO  KIOTO. — U.  S. 
AND  DUTCH  MINISTERS,  INVITED  TO  MEET  GOROJIU,  PROCEED 
TO  YEDO. — THE  INTERVIEW. — INFORMED  THAT  FOREIGNERS 
MUST  LEAVE  YOKOHAMA,  AND  THE  PORT  BE  CLOSED  ;  BUT  THAT 
THE  LETTER  SENT  BY  OGASAWARA  WAS  RETRACTED,  AND  TRADE 
WITH  NAGASAKI  AND  HAKODATE  PERMITTED. — TRANSLATION  BY 

MR.  ENSLIE    OF  JAPANESE  OFFICIAL  DOCUMENT. PROPOSAL   OF 

JAPANESE  GOVERNMENT  TO  ERECT  A  FORT  AT  BENTEN. — NOT 
PERMITTED  BY  FOREIGN  OFFICIALS. — CHOSHIU  AND  THE  BAKUFU. 
— PROPOSAL  TO  MIKADO  THAT  HE  HEAD  THE  ARMY  FOR  THE 
EXPULSION  OF  FOREIGNERS.  DISGRACE  OF  CHOSHIU  AND  THE 
COURT  NOBLES. — FLIGHT  OF  THE  LATTER. — THE  KIOTO  PALACE 
GATES. — SUSPICION  OF  CHOSHIU'S  AMBITION. — APPEAL  ON  BE- 
HALF OF  CHOSHIU. — THE  CLAN'S  ATTACK  ON  THE  PALACE. — 
DESTRUCTION  OF  A  GREAT  PART  OF  KIOTO. — GOVERNMENT- 
PROPOSES  ANOTHER  EMBASSY  TO  EUROPE. — SATISFACTORY  RU- 
MOURS,' UNSATISFACTORY  FACTS. — RONINS. — JAPANESE  ORDER 
SHIPS  FROM  AMERICA  AND  EUROPE. — SUICIDAL  ORDER  OF 
GOVERNMENT  TO  PREVENT  TRADE  IN  SILKWORM'S  EGGS. — STATE 
OF  PARTIES  IN  JAPAN. — CHOSHIU  EXPECTED  IN  YEDO  TO  MAKE 
SUBMISSION. — PALACE  OF  TYCOON  AGAIN  BURNT. — MONEY 
PLENTIFUL  IN  YOKOHAMA. — THE  ICHIBOO  EXCHANGE. — THE 
NAVAL  FORCE  IN  HARBOUR. — THE  UNITED  SERVICE  CLUB. — 
MUNICIPAL  MATTERS.— THE  SWISS  EMBASSY'S  EXHIBITION. — 
MURDER  OF  A  PORTUGUESE  BY  A  BRITISH  SUBJECT.— RECALL  OF 
MONS.  DE  BELLECOUET. 

WE  are  now  to  witness  another  throe  of  the  Japanese 
Government  in  its  attempt  to  obey  the  orders  from 
Kioto. 


268  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

On  the  24th  October,  Mr.  VON  POLESBBOEK  and  Mr. 
PRUYN,  the  Representatives  of  the  Netherlands  and 
the  United  States  respectively,  received  an  invitation  to 
attend  a  conference  with  the  Gorojiu  at  the  house  of  the 
Governor  of  Kanagawa.  The  place  of  meeting  was  after- 
wards altered  to  Yedo,  and  the  two  ministers  went 
thither  in  H.  N.  M.'s  Medusa. 

Immediately  after  arrival  they  were  conducted  into 
the  presence  of  the  Gorojiu,  with  whom  were  all  the 
Members  of  the  second  Chamber ;  also  the  Governor  of 
Nagasaki,  (who  had  just  arrived  here)  and  other  high 
officials. 

In  the  demeanour  of  these  officials  a  marked  change- — 
a  sort  of  dogged  civility,  rather  than  that  apparently 
hearty  courtesy  which  had  hitherto  been  the  noticeable 
feature — was  prevailing  throughout. 

The  conversation  commenced  by  a  very  important  com- 
munication from  the  Gorojiu.  "  The  order  of  expulsion 
issued  by  and  through  OGASAWABA  is  retracted." 

After  some  ordinary  hesitation,  however,  the  real  gist 
of  the  sought  interview  came  out. — "But,"  said,  the 
Gorojiu,  "  if  trade  continues  to  be  carried  on  in 
Yokohama,  a  revolution  will  ensue  in  the  country, 
therefore  the  trade  must  be  transferred  to  Nagasaki 
and  Hakodate." 

The  Ministers,  naturally  asked  if  the  Government 
were  not  able  to  put  down  such  a  revolution  as  they 
said  threatened  the  country. 

The  Gorojiu  answered,  it  was  "  a  very  great  shame  to 
Japan,  but  they  could  not." 

The  Gorojiu  further  added  that  they  had  appointed 
two  Plenipotentiaries,  to  tell  the  Ministers  of  Foreign 
Powers  why  foreigners  must  leave  Yokohama,  and  to 
negociate  the  terms  of  their  leaving. 

The  Ministers  expressed  their  great  surprise  that  on 


THE  U.  S.  AND  DUTCH  MINISTERS  AND  THE  GOROJIU.      269 

a  subject  of  such  vast  importance  the  Gorojiu  had  not 
communicated  to  the  British  and  French  Ministers ;  to 
which  the  Gorojiu  replied  that  they  had  communicated 
first  with  the  representatives  of  Holland  and  the 
United  States,  because  the  country  had  first  intercourse 
with  those  nations. 

The  Ministers  upon  this,  both  replied  that  they 
should,  of  course,  report  this  conversation  to  their 
repective  Governments. 

The  GOROJIU  : — "  But  cannot  the  Ministers  or  any  of 
them  consent  to  give  up  the  settlement  at  Yokohama, 
without  consulting  their  Governments  ?  Foreigners  could 
go  to  Nagasaki  and  then  the  treaties  would  remain  in 
force.  The  treaties  ivith  foreigners  had  only  been  made 
as  an  experiment  to  see  if  trade  with  foreigners  would 
answer  for  Japan" 

The  Gorojiu,  being  asked  what  steps  had  been  taken 
towards  bringing  the  Prince  of  Nagato  to  punishment 
for  his  recent  attacks  upon  foreign  vessels,  answered, 
"  Nothing  yet  was  done,  but  they  were  busily  engaged 
in  this  matter.  In  Japan  these  things  could  not  be 
hastened.  It  was  the  Japanese  custom  to  do  these 
things  more  quietly." 

The  high  officers  present  were — MIDZUNO  IDZUMI-NO- 
KAMI,  ITAKURA  SUWO-NO-KAMI,  (who  was  the  principal 
spokesman,)  MOWORI  KAWACHI-NO-KAHI,  and  MIWA  TOTOMI- 
NO-KAMI. 

It  so  happened  that  about  this  time  Mr.  JAMES  J. 
ENSLIE,  Acting-Consul  at  Hakodate,  sent  to  Colonel 
NEALE  a  dispatch,  under  date  17th  October,  in  which  he 
gave  translations  of  certain  documents  that  had  come 
into  his  hands,  one  of  which,  in  particular,  throws 
some  light  on  the  communications  that  were  made  to 


270  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

the  British  Charge  d' Affaires  as   above.     Mr.  ENSUE 
writes : — 

"  As  soon  as  the  daimios  were  informed  that  a  delay 
had  been  granted  to  Japan  for  opening  the  ports,  they 
sent  a  Proclamation  to  Yedo,  though  the  Mikado,  in 
which  they  claimed  the  honour  of  having  forced  the 
foreigners  to  grant  this  delay.  This  is  what  the  Mikado 
ordered  to  be  written  to  the  Tycoon,  and  it  embodies  the 
demands  of  the  daimios. 

" '  The  honour  and  safety  of  our  country,  not  only 
demand  that  the  Te-hits-ro-a  (English,  French,  Eussians, 
Americans)  shall  not  enter  our  sacred  empire  any 
further,  but  the  liberties  they  now  enjoy  must  be 
restricted.  It  is  quite  natural  that  they  relinquished 
their  supposed  rights  to  Osaka  and  Yedo ;  and  in  doing  so 
they  showed  a  little  common  sense.  I  have  ordered 
OHARA  SAYEMON  to  inform  you  of  the  petition  of  the 
southern  daimios.  As  the  peace  which  has  long  reigned 
in  Japan  renders  it  impossible  to  enforce  our  orders  on 
the  Te-hits-ro-a,  they  must  be  reasoned  with.  Kanagawa 
must  be  closed,  as  their  residence  there  is  a  disgrace  to 
our  nation,  and  the  reasons  assigned  for  Yedo  and  Osaka 
must  again  be  adduced.  Tell  them  this  is  absolutely 
necessary  for  the  peace'  of  Yedo  ;  and  that  '  when  a 
nation  experiences  no  change  it  enjoj's  peace.'  (Extract 
from  Soong-F-u,  one  of  the  four  Chinese  classics).  You 
must  also  add  that  the  presence  of  foreigners  at  Kana- 
gawa (Yokohama)  increases  the  price  of  the  daily  neces- 
saries of  life,  thereby  causing  discontent  among  the 
people,  who  no  longer  obey  their  superiors. 

"'The  daimios  say  that  the  Te-hits-ro-a  ought  to  be 
sent  back  to  Nagasaki,  as  was  formerly  the  case.  As 
this  would  perhaps  be  rather  difficult,  we  must  allow 
them  to  remain  at  Hakodate.  Great  difficulty  will 
perhaps  be  experienced  in  obtaining  their  consent  to 
leave  Kanagawa,  if,  therefore,  they  will  not  listen  to 
your  reasons  Shimoda  can  be  offered  to  them  in  exchange 
for  Kanagawa.  This  is  all  that  can  be  done ;  and  if  this 
last  proposition  do  not  please  them,  you  must  postpone 
your  decision  until  you  have  seen  us. 

"  'You  may  let  them  entertain  a  slight  hope  that  Kana- 
gawa will  be  reopened  at  some  future  period :  for  the 


THE  CHAGRIN  OF  CHOSHIU.  271 

daimios  say  that  Japan  will  be  able  to  receive  foreigners 
without  blushing  in  six  or  seven  years.'" 

I  have  mentioned  the  failure  of  the  Japanese  au- 
thorities in  respect  of  placing  armed  men  on  the  Eastern 
Hatobas,  for  our  protection  (?).  They  now  proposed  to 
erect  a  fort  at,  or  opposite  to,  Benten,  (a  district  at 
the  extremity  of  the  native  town — so  called  from  a 
temple  situated  there.)  In  this  they  were  quickly 
disillusionised;  the  British  and  French  Admirals 
telling  them  that  no  defence  of  the  kind  was  needed ; 
and  that  any  forts  either  there  or  on  the  heights 
commanding  the  settlement,  would  be  effectually 
prevented. 

The  punishment  that  had  befallen  the  Choshiu  clan, 
for  firing  into  the  foreign  ships,  rankled  deeply  in  their 
bosoms.  But  the  effects  of  the  cannonading  they  had 
endured  from  the  Wyoming,  the  Medusa,  and  more 
particularly  the  Semiramis,  did  not  affect  them  so  heavily 
as  did  the  attempt  of  the  Government  of  the  Shogun  to 
disavow  them,  and  to  deny  their  own  responsibility  in 
having  given  the  orders  in  accordance  with  which  the 
shots  had  been  fired.  As  brave  men  they  were  prepared 
to  take  the  consequences  of  having  done  their  duty  ;  but 
they  indignantly  deprecated  the  cowardice  of  the  Govern- 
ment, that,  having  placed  them  in  a  position  of  trust  as 
sentinels  of  the  Inland  sea,  abandoned  them  in  the  hour 
of  trial,  when  they  had  given  such  unmistakeable  proof 
of  their  loyalty  and  patriotism. 

It  is  an  open  question  to  this  day  whether  they  really 
had  the  orders  they  professed  to  have  acted  upon.  It  is 
more  than  probable  that  they  had  ;  because,  when,  later 
on,  the  Tycoon's  Ministers  were  asked  to  punish  them, 
and  once  and  for  all  open  the  Straits,  they  hesitated, 
saying  that  the  clan  might  have  had  orders  ;  as  much  as 


272  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

to  say  that  such  orders  might  have  emanated  from  Kioto 
and  that  the  Yedo  Government  had  not  been  made 
acquainted  with  the  fact.  They  would  hardly,  however, 
have  admitted  so  much,  had  they  not  known  that  such 
commands  had  been  issued  to  them.  At  the  same  time 
there  is  room  for  doubt,  inasmuch  as  from  the  making  of 
the  treaties,  Choshiu  had  been  one  of  the  most  earnest 
advocates  of  forcibly  preventing  their  being  carried  into 
effect. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  as  long  ago  as  1858,  a 
Choshiu  man  invited  OHAEA  SHIGETAMI  to  Nagato  to  get 
up  an  agitation  in  the  clan  for  the  expulsion  of  the 
barbarians.  In  1861,  also,  the  Prince  of  Choshiu  him- 
self wrote  a  letter  to  the  Tycoon  in  which  he  said : 
"  Since  the  conclusion  of  the  treaties  the  people  of  this 
empire  have  done  nothing  but  protest  against  them. 
They  declare  that  you  have  disregarded  the  Mikado's 
wish  that  the  country  should  be  closed  to  foreigners." 
In  1862  the  clan  ordered  NAGAI  UTA  to  perform  harakiri 
because  he  urged  the  necessity  of  the  Mikado  giving  his 
imperial  sanction  to  the  treaties.  And  again,  being  in 
Yedo,  the  Prince  of  Choshiu  continued  his  remonstrances 
in  most  bitter  language. 

Thus  it  is  possible  that  in  communications  that  took 
place  between  the  chieftain  and  the  Government,  some- 
thing may  have  passed,  not  intended  by  the  latter  as  an 
order,  but  which  the  excited  clan  chose  to  consider  as 
such ;  as  men  oftentimes  talk  themselves  into  belief  in 
matters  that  are  far  from  being  facts. 

Besides  this  it  cannot  be  questioned  that  Choshiu  was 
commanded,  in  conjunction  with  Satsuma  and  Tosa,  to 
control  and  keep  in  order  the  ronins  who  had  become 
troublesome  in  connection  with  the  expulsion  question 
both  in  Yedo  and  Kioto.  It  is  also  evident  that  the  Court 
nobles  of  Kioto,  who  entered  warmly  into  the  discussions 


THE  MIKADO  ASKED  TO  HEAD  THE  ARMY.       273 

that  arose  on  the  subject  of  the  treaties,  made  common 
cause  with  Choshiu ;  thus  showing  that  he  was  looked 
upon  more  than  any  other  daimio,  as  the  strongest 
opponent  of  foreign  intercourse ;  and  when  the  ronins 
who  adopted  the  curious  method  of  warning  the 
TOKUGAWA  family  by  cutting  off  the  heads  of  the  wooden 
effigies  of  the  three  first  ASHIKAGA  Shoguns,  it  was 
Choshiu  who  interceded  in  their  behalf  to  mitigate 
their  punishment  and  save  their  lives  ;  so  that  thence- 
forward "the  rouins  entertained  great  affection  for  the 
prince  of  Choshiu." 

Be  this  as  it  may — whether  they  received  distinct 
orders,  or  only  worked  themselves  into  the  belief  that 
they  had,  this  much  is  certain  : — that  "  the  Court  issued 
a  proclamation  observing  that  it  had  learnt  that  certain 
clans  had  put  their  hands  in  their  pockets  and  looked  on 
quietly  when  the  barbarian  ships  had  been  attacked. 
This  had  profoundly,  distressed  the  Emperor,  for,  now 
that  a  commencement  had  been  made  by  Choshiu,  it  was 
the  duty  of  all  the  clans  to  strive  to  achieve  the  work 
with  all  possible  speed;  while  the  Bakufu  .at  the 
same  time  despatched  envoys  to  Choshiu,  to  reprimand 
the  clan  for  having  fired  on  foreign  vessels  without 
orders." 

Great  efforts  had  been  made,  by  those  who  deemed 
that  the  Tycoon's  Government  was  too  slow  in  complying 
with  the  instructions  it  had  received,  to  induce  the 
Mikado  to  take  the  field  in  person.  Amongst  these 
were  several  of  the  Court  nobles ;  but  the  suggestion 
originated  with  ChoshiuT  and  none  pressed  the  measure 
so  urgently  as  did  this  clan.  The  Mikado  agreed  to  the 
proposal;  but,  it  may  be  supposed,  unwillingly,  and 
without  any  intention  of  acting  upon  it ;  for  shortly 
afterwards  the  Choshiu  men  who  had  guarded  the 
Sakai-machi  gate  of  the .  Dairi,  or  imperial  palace,  were 

VOL.  I  HH 


274  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

dismissed;  and  certain  nobles  who  were  acting  with 
Choshiu  were  summoned  to  the  palace.  At  this  inter- 
view the  displeasure  of  the  Mikado  was  pronounced 
against  those  who  had  "  falsified  his  wishes  and  given 
out  that  His  Majesty  intended  to  go  to  Yamato  in  order 
to  take  the  field  in  person  against  the  barbarians." — 
"  Orders  were  then  issued  that  the  Imperial  progress 
should  not  take  place,  and  a  resolution  was  taken  to 
punish  SANJO  and  the  other  six  Court  nobles." 

The  result  of  this  was  that  the  Choshiu  men  left  for 
their  own  province,  accompanied  by  the  seven  Kuge. 
"  The  Court  thereupon  deprived  the  latter  of  their 
titles  and  rank,  punished  eighteen  other  official  Court 
nobles  who  had  been  acting  with  Choshiu  all  along, 
and  prohibited  the  MORI  family  from  entering  the 
capital." 

All  these  circumstances  served  to  render  the  Choshiu 
people  desperate.  A  Satsuma  vessel  that  had  been 
sent  with  certain  Government  agents  on  board,  on  state 
business,  which  anchored  off  Tanoura,  opposite  Shimono- 
seki,  was  fired  on  by  them  although  the  national  ensign 
was  flying.  Messengers  were  sent  to  remonstrate  with 
them,  and  to  call  attention  to  the  fact  that  it  was  one  of 
Satsuma's  ships ;  and  even  that  the  Government  officials 
on  board  had  a  mission  to  them.  They  replied  that,  in 
that  case,  iliey  should  anchor  on  their  side  of  the  strait ; 
which,  on  their  proceeding  to  do,  the  forts  poured  in 
such  a  hail  of  shot  that  no  less  than  thirty  of  the 
Satsunia  men  were  killed.  This  greatly  enraged  the 
Prince  of  Satsuma,  who  proposed  at  once  to  send  and 
demand  an  explanation  of  the  outrage  ;  but  the  Tycoon's 
Government  prevented  it,  promising  itself  to  obtain  the 
necessary  redress. 

The  following,  differing  in  some  respects  from  the 
above,  is  the  "  Report  from  the  Prince  of  Satsuma's 


GUARDS  OF  THE  DAIEI  GATES.  275 

representative    in    Yedo,    to    the     Gorojiu,"    on    this 
circumstance  : — 

"  The  Prince  of  Satsuma  had  borrowed  one  of  the 
Tycoon's  steamers  at  Nagasaki,  and  she  had  gone  to 
Satsuma's  domain.  Being  in  want  of  repairs  she  was 
sent  through  the  Inland  sea  on  her  way  to  the  Nagasaki 
foundry  to  be  repaired,  on  the  22nd  of  the  12th  moon 
(24th  January)  last  year.  Two  days  after  this  she 
came  to  an  anchor  in  the  straits  of  Shimonoseki,  at  8 
o'clock  in  the  evening.  Shortly  after  this,  batteries  on 
the  northern  shore  opened  fire  upon  her.  Supposing 
that  the  steamer  had  been  mistaken  for  a  foreign  vessel, 
the  commanding  officer  ordered  signal  lanterns  to  be 
hoisted  at  the  mast-heads,  'according  to  an  agreement 
entered  into  among  the  daimios;  to  provide  against  such 
a  misunderstanding.  The  signals  were  made  and  hauled 
down,  but  the  firing  commenced  again  ;  and  as  there  was 
no  attention  paid  when  the  signals  were  repeated,  there 
being  no  help  for  it,  the  anchor  was  weighed,  and  the 
steamer  directed  towards  the  harbour  of  Shiro-no-mura, 
in  the  district  called  Awotoma,  on  the  coast  of  Kokura. 
But  a  fire  soon  broke  out  in  the  ship,  and  she  was 
consumed  before  she  reached  the  port.  Of  the  ship's 
company  nine  officers  and  nineteen  others,  including 
the  engineers,  lost  their  lives." 

It  may  appear  to  some  that  this  has  nothing  to  do 
with  Yokohama  and  Yedo.  But  it  has  to  this  extent — 
that  it  shows  the  course  of  events  by  which  subsequent 
proceedings  were  arrived  at,  and  explains  in  its  proper 
sequence,  what  would  otherwise  require  more  lengthy 
explanation  and  the  necessity  of  back  reference  hereafter. 

The  nine  gates  of  the  Imperial  palace  at  Kioto  were 
committed  by  the  Tycoon  to  the  charge  of  various 
daimios,  of  whom  the  Prince  of  Aidzu  was  one.  He  was 
also  the  Military  Governor  of  Kioto ;  and  my  readers 
will  observe  that  he,  and  all  those  who  were  placed  in 
charge  of  the  palace,  received  their  appointments  from 
the  Tycoon.  It  was,  however,  seen  at  this  early  date, 
that  those  who  were  opposed  to  the  Shogunate  had 


276  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

designs  upon  the  person  of  the  Mikado — not  to  injure 
him — he  was  far  too  sacred  for  that — but  because  who- 
ever had  him  on  their  side,  and  his  sacred  flag  to 
display,  had  therein  a  tower  of  strength,  which,  it  was 
supposed,  none  would  dare  to  assault. 

It  was  the  conviction  that  Choshiu  aimed  at  nothing 
short  of  obtaining  possession  of  the  Mikado's  person,  and 
then  acting  as  by  his  authority,  that  led  to  his  dismissal 
from  Kioto.  Several  powerful  appeals  were  made  in  his 
behalf,  and  for  the  seven  Kuge — but  all  in  vain.  At 
length  Choshiu  sought  to  obtain  by  force  of  arms  what 
he  could  not  otherwise  effect ;  and  his  retainers,  collect- 
ing from  all  parts,  marched  on  Kioto.  They  made  a 
vigourous  assault  on  the  palace  ;  but  were  met  bravely  by 
the  guards  in  charge,  and  driven  back  after  losing 
many  men  and  some  of  their  most  prominent  leaders. 
In  the  various  encounters  a  large  portion  of  the  city  of 
Kioto  was  burnt  to  the  ground. 

And  now,  leaving  them  awhile,  I  return  to  Yokohama. 
The  Government  availed  itself  of  the  opportunity  offered 
by  the  murder  of  Lieut.  CAMUS,  to  propose  sending  an 
embassy  to  France  to  express  regret  for  that  deplorable 
crime.  The  real  object  of  the  mission,  however,  was  to 
urge  upon  the  Governments  of  France  and  England,  the 
necessity  for  closing  Yokohama  ;  any  proposal  for  which 
the  French  and  English  Ministers,  would  not  even  listen 
to.  M.  DE  BELLECOURT  did  not  oppose  the  embassy,  but 
only  insisted  on  the  envoys  being  men  of  suitable  rank, 
and  such  as  were  worthy  of  being  received  by  the 
European  sovereigns. 

In  Yedo,  among  the  people,  a  report  was  now  freely  cir- 
culated that  all  matters  in  connection  with  foreigners  had 
been  settled  by  the  Government,  and  that  it  had  been  de- 
cided that  no  measures  should  be  taken  for  their  expulsion. 


THE  RONINS  IN  YEDO.  277 

This  in  itself  would  have  been  gratifying ;  but  the 
plans  for  strengthening  the  country  against  foreign 
attack,  and  the  obstructions  to  business,  still  went  on. 
The  Yedo  fortifications  were  fast  proceeded  with :  troops 
vigourously  drilled,  and  immense  efforts  made  for  the 
accumulation  of  war  materials.  The  ronins  about  Yedo 
were  a  constant  anxiety  to  the  ministry  ;  and  at  last  a 
scheme  was  proposed  and  carried  into  effect,  in 
accordance  with  which  they  were  taken  into  the  Tycoon 's 
service,  regularly  paid  and  taken  care  of,  in  hopes  of 
their  being  brought  under  control ;  but  they  were  so 
troublesome  in  the  city  and  suburbs,  and  acted  in  so 
violent  a  manner  towards  the  citizens — robbing,  cutting 
and  wounding  them  at  pleasure — that,  at  length,  the 
Government,  fairly  tired  out  with  the  complaints  that 
reached  them,  issued  an  order  that  the  people  should 
take  the  law  into  their  own  hands,  and  cut  the  marauders 
down  wherever  they  should  be  met  with.  While  the 
utmost  was  being  done  that  could  be  for  the  protection 
of  foreigners  from  such  dangerous  characters,  there 
must  have  been  a  strong  feeling  in  the  minds  of  the 
Government  that  war,  sooner  or  later,  was  inevitable, 
between  Japan  and  foreign  Powers,  although  it  was 
equally  clear  that  both  parties  wished  to  avoid  it.  A 
special  agent,  in  the  person  of  the  Vice-Governor  of 
Nagasaki,  was  .despatched  to  China  to  purchase  ships 
suitable  for  men-of-war ;  and  Mr.  PRUYN,  minister  of  the 
United  States,  was  requested  to  order  men-of-war  to  be  spe- 
cially built  and  equipped  for  the  Tycoon  in  America.  Be- 
sides this,  there  was  a  man-of-war  now  expected  to  arrive 
shortly  from  Holland ;  and  these,  with  the  few  vessels 
already  purchased,  were  intended  to  serve  as  a  nucleus 
for  the  Japanese  navy. 

At  this  time  the  business  in  silkworm's  eggs,  which 
later  on  assumed  such  important  dimensions,  had  not 


278  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

commenced  ;  and  to  limit  the  trade  in  silk,  the  Govern- 
ment officials  issued  an  order  for  the  destruction  of  three 
fourths  of  the  silk  cocoons ;  a  wanton  piece  of  suicidal 
destructiveness  very  hard  to  believe  sane  men  to  be 
capable  of. 

Of  the  true  state  of  parties  at  the  close  of  1863,  it  is 
a  little  difficult  to  speak ;  because,  whilst  there  was  an 
evident  revulsion  of  feeling  on  the  part  of  some,  rumours 
were  so  numerous,  and  sometimes  so  divergent,  that  it  is 
hazardous  to  attempt  to  say  which  were  true  and  which 
were  false.  The  commissioners  of  the  Prince  of  Satsuma 
who  had  recently  concluded  the  business  between  that 
clan  and  the  British,  had  undoubtedly  spoken  of  a 
change  of  policy,  which  they  honestly  attributed  to  the 
experience  they  had  of  foreign  arms  at  the  battle  of 
Kagoshima.  It  was  now  asserted  that  certain  dairnios 
(all  of  whom  coritinued  to  be  famous  throughout  the 
whole  revolution),  viz.,  Satsuma,  Hosokawa,  Chikuzen 
(KUBODA),  Mino,  Nabeshirna  and  Etchizen,  had  united  to 
recommend  a  more  liberal  policy,  much  to  the  an- 
noyance of  Choshiu  and  Tosa,  who  considered  themselves 
left  in  the  lurch  by  all  of  them,  but  especially  by 
Satsuma. 

It  was  expected  that  Choshiu  himself  would  arrive 
in  Yedo  in  December  1863,  to  make  his  submission  to 
the  Tycoon;  but  it  does  not  appear  that  he  actually  did  so. 

It  was  decided  that  the  Yedo  ruler  should  again 
visit  Kioto  early  in  the  ensuing  year.  And  the  last  event 
worthy  of  note  that  occurred  in  Yedo  in  the  year  1863, 
was  another  great  conflagration,  by  which  the  palace  of 
the  Tycoon  was  once  more  co'nsumed. 

In  Yokohama  things  were  tolerably  lively.  The 
arrangement  I  mentioned  in  chapter,  by  which  the 


ICHIBOO  EXCHANGE.  279 

Japanese  allowed  all  foreign  officials  the  full  exchange 
for  their  dollars,  extended  to  all  the  officers  and  men  of 
the  foreign  naval  and  military  services  who  visited  the 
open  ports  ;  and  as  the  ships  alone  which  were  now 
stationed  at  Yokohama  averaged  fully  twenty  in  number, 
and  the  exchange  was  allowed  on  a  very  liberal  scale 
(a  common  sailor,  for  instance,  being  permitted  to 
exchange  $1  a  day,  and  officers  in  proportion)  they  all 
had  their  incomes  pretty  nearly  doubled,  and  they  spent 
their  money  like  men.  Never  were  such  times  for 
soldiers  and  sailors  as  those  spent  in  Japan  during  the 
years  1862  to  1866.  The  Prussian  officials,  however, 
disapproved  of  this  privileged  exchange,  (although  it 
was  no  injustice  to  the  Japanese),  and  Mr.  YON  BRANDT, 
the  Prussian  Consul,  addressed  a  letter  to  the  Ministers 
of  Foreign  Affairs,  declining  on  the  part  of  the  Prussian 
Minister,  Consulates  and  men-of-war,  to  avail  of  the  right 
to  exchange  dollars  for  ichiboos  at  the  Japanese  Custom- 
houses. 

That  the  naval  element  was  an  important  one  in  the 
settlement,  may  be  gathered  from  the  fact  that  the 
first  of  those  "  march-outs  "  which  afterwards  became  so 
common,  and  so  beneficial  to  the  health  of  the  men,  took 
place  in  the  middle  of  November,  and  consisted  of  eleven 
hundred  and  fifty  men ;  who,  being  landed  from  several  of 
the  British  ships,  formed  under  command  of  Captain 
ALEXANDER,  on  the  Bund,  and,  preceded  by  the  band  of  the 
Euryalus,  marched  out  some  four  miles  from  Yokohama, 
as  far  as  Kanagawa,  and  a  small  distance  on  the 
Tokaido. 

The  United  Service  Club,  which  ultimately  merged  into 
the  Yokohama  United  Gub,  was  now  established  under 
the  guidance  of  Lieut.  W.  H.  SMITH,  of  the  11.  M.  L.  L, 
one  of  the  most  energetic  and  indefatigable  men  who  ever 
came  to  this  country. 


280  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

The  state  of  the  settlement  in  respect  of  Municipal 
matters  was  unsatisfactory  enough.  The  Council  had 
been  a  failure ;  and  the  streets  were  in  a  lamentable 
condition.  It  was  urged  that  it  was  high  time  the 
Japanese,  who  were  bound  by  their  covenants  to  keep 
the  streets,  roads  and  jetties,  in  good  order,  and  who 
were  receiving  $17,000  a  year  for  land  rents,  should  do 
something  towards  fulfilling  these  duties. 

The  Swiss  embassy,  who  now  sought  a  treaty  with 
Japan,  although  they  arrived  at  an  inopportune  time, 
when  the  Government  was  actually  declaring  its  inten- 
tion of  closing  the  ports,  adopted  a  very  practical  method 
of  showing  the  Japanese  why  they  should  yield  to  their 
wishes.  They  took  a  large  godown,  and,  under  the  direc- 
tion of  Mr.  BRENNWALD,  opened  a  very  extensive  and  com- 
plete exhibition  of  Swiss  produce  and  manufactures.  It 
consisted  of  Cottons,  Silks,  Silk  embroideries  and  such  like 
goods ;  Swiss  rifles,  Straw- work  and  Parqueterie ;  besides 
relief  charts  and  photographs  in  great  numbers,  calcu- 
lated to  give  the  Japanese  an  excellent  idea  of  the  Swiss 
territory. 

Two  of  the  closing  events  of  the  year  1863  in  the 
settlement  of  Yokohama,  were,  a  large  fire  in  the  Main 
street,  which  destroyed  the  premises  of  Messrs.  L. 
KNIFFLER  &  Co. ;  and  a  murder,  in  which  the  victim  was 
a  Portuguese  named  FRANK  JOSE,  and  the  perpetrator  a 
British  subject  named  A.  H.  BROWNING. 

Finally,  the  whole  of  the  foreign  community  heard  with 
regret  that  they  were  to  lose  from  their  midst,  the  genial, 
able,  and  energetic  French  Minister,  M.  DE  BELLECOURT. 
He  had  applied  for  leave  of  absence  nearly  a  year  before  ; 
and  now  his  request  was  granted,  with  the  intimation 
that  he  would  afterwards  be  transferred  to  Tunis  ;  so  that 
he  would  not  return  to  Japan,  where  he  had  played  so 
efficient  a  part  in  upholding  the  interests  of  foreigners. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

HOPEFUL  DAWN  OF  1864. INTERVIEW  BETWEEN  BRITISH  MI- 
NISTER AND  JAPANESE  OFFICIALS. — OMINOUS  HINTS. — PRUSSIAN 
ENVOY  ARRIVES. — RATIFICATIONS  EXCHANGED. — SIGNATURE  OF 

SWISS    TREATY. JAPANESE    GOVERNMENT    FULFILS    PROMISES 

MADE  IN  EUROPE  BY  THE  FORMER  EMBASSY. — DEPARTURE  OF 
NEW  EMBASSY  FOR  FRANCE. — YOKOHAMA. — PERSONAL  CHANGES. 
—LIBERALITY,  BUT  WANT  OF  PUBLIC  SPIRIT,  IN  EASTERN 

COMMUNITIES. PUBLIC    HOSPITAL. — GENERAL    SALUBRITY    OF 

YOKOHAMA. JAPANESE  AND  THE  SMALL-POX. — SANITARY  COM- 
MITTEE.— TRADE. — THE  JAPANESE  NEW  YEAR. 

THE  year  1864  came  in  hopefully  if  not  altogether 
auspiciously.  There  were  clouds  still  overhanging  the 
intercourse  between  foreigners  and  the  Japanese,  but  they 
did  not  look  as  if  they  must  necessarily  break  forth  in  a 
violent  storm ;  but  rather  as  if  they  would  easily  yield  to 
more  genial  influences.  The  Government  had  some  dif- 
ficulty in  protecting  the  citizens  of  Yedo  from  the 
depredations  of  the  lawless  ;  but  with  this  the  foreign 
question  was  no  further  concerned  than  that  the  law- 
breakers were  those  who  had  banded  together  making 
the  expulsion  of  tlje  barbarians  their  war-cry. 

VOL.  i  ii 


282  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

An  interview  of  a  very  interesting  character  took  place 
early  in  the  year  between  the  British  Charge  d'affaires 
and  some  officials  of  the  Government,  on  the  subject  of 
the  embassy  about  being  dispatched  to  Europe. 

At  this  interview  the  officers  represented  to  Colonel 
NEALE  that  the  treaty  entered  into  with  Commodore 
PERRY  was  a  mere  tentative  measure  ;  an  experiment ; 
which,  if  unsatisfactory  to  Japan,  might  at  any  time  be 
reversed.  They  admitted  that  nothing  of  the  kind 
appeared  in  writing,  but  asserted  that  it  had  been 
verbally  discussed  and  understood.  Colonel  NEALE  could 
only  reply  that  he  had  heard  of  nothing  of  the  kind,  and 
that  as  fav  as  the  English  Treaty  was  concerned,  there 
was  certainly  no  such  understanding. 

Allusion  was  then  made  to  the  determined  hostility  of 
the  people  to  foreigners ;  to  which  it  was  replied  that 
though  there  might  exist  such  a  feeling  on  the  part  of  the 
samurai,  there  was  nothing  of  the  kind  in  the  mind  of 
the  people  in  general.  The  officers  answered  that  under 
any  circumstances  this  hostility,  by  whomsoever  enter- 
tained, caused  a  great  deal  of  uneasiness  to  the  Tycoon's 
Government,  and  that  the  only  way  to  remove  this  was 
to  close  the  port  of  Yokohama,  leaving  open  the  two 
ports  of  Nagasaki  and  Hakodate.  As,  however,  the 
foreign  Representatives  had  no  power  to  agree  to  this, 
they  wished  to  withdraw  the  letter  that  had  been  sent  by 
OGASAWARA,  and  had  resolved  to  send  an  embassy  to 
Europe  to  arrange  the  matter  with  the  home  Govern- 
ments. 

Colonel  NEALE  called  attention  to  the  fact  that  obstruc- 
tions to  trade,  of  whicli  complaints  had  been  made,  had 
not  been  removed;  and  particularly  mentioned  the 
closing  of  eighteen  large  native  merchants'  establish- 
ments in  consequence  of  the  restrictions  imposed  by  the 
Government  with  regard  to  the  supplies  of  Sillv?  The 


ARRIVAL  OF  PRUSSIAN  ENVOY  AND  M.  VON  BRANDT.    283 

officials  declared  this  to  arise  from  the  losses  experienced 
by  those  engaged  in  the  trade,  as  well  as  from  the  fear  of 
ronins  and  other  lawless  people,  and  not  from  any 
Governmental  action  ;  but  Colonel  NEALE  told  them  that 
the  contrary  was  too  well  known  to  be  the  case ;  that  the 
native  dealers  became  rapidly  wealthy  through  their 
transactions  with  foreigners  ;  and  that  the  only  persons 
feared  were  the  Government  officials  themselves.  A  long 
discussion  took  place,  and  at  length  Colonel  NEALE  warned 
them  that  they  were  playing  a  dangerous  game ;  for,  he 
said,  "  if  you  stop  our  trade,  we  will  stop  yours.  If  you 
stop  our  supplies  we  will  stop  yours."  "  By  stopping 
our  trade,  do  you  mean  our  import  trade  with  foreigners  ?" 
was  the  quick  enquiry.  And  they  were  politely  given  to 
understand,  that  this  was  far  from  the  meaning.  That 
what  was  intended  to  be  stopped  was  their  own  internal 
commerce,  and  the  transit  from  place  to  place  of  those 
commodities  which  were  necessary  for  the  people. 
Although  there  was  much  plain  language  spoken,  the 
interview  was  a  very  friendly  one,  and  was,  clearly 
useful  in  its  results ;  as  it  gave  the  Government  the 
assurance  of  the  undeviating  policy  enjoined  by  his 
Government  on  the  British  representative. 

The  Prussian  frigate  Gazelle  had  now  arrived,  having 
on  board  Baron  DE  EEHFUES  the  Envoy  plenipotentiary, 
and  Mr.  VON  BRANDT  the  Consul,  to  obtain  the  ratification 
of  the  treaty  between  their  country  and  Japan.  They 
went  to  Yedo  and  were  hospitably  entertained  during  the 
interval  required  for  the  ratification,  at  the  French 
Embassy.  An  attempt  was  made  by  the  Japanese 
officials  to  induce  them  to  return  to  Yokohama,  and 
remain  there  until  the  business  was  completed.  A 
request  was  even  sent  to  M.  DE  BELLECOURT,  that  he 
would  get  them  to  retire  from  the  capital,  the  Gorojiu 
undertaking  that  the  ratified  treaty  should  be  ready 


284  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

for  them  in  a  few  days.  His  Excellency  replied  that  he 
could  not  be  guilty  of  such  a  breach  of  hospitality  as  to 
ask  his  guests  to  depart ;  but  suggested  that,  as  they 
would  certainly  leave  of  their  own  accord  as  soon  as  their 
business  was  finished,  the  Government  should  hasten  it ; 
as  it  really  could  be  done  as  well  in  ten  hours  as  in  ten 
days  if  they  so  willed  it. 

The  ratifications  were  exchanged  on  21st  January,  on 
H.  P.  M.  S.  Gazelle,  two  members  of  the  Gorojiu  going 
on  board,  and  receiving  the  letter  of  the  King  of  Prussia 
to  the  Tycoon,  whilst  a  third  handed  the  ratified  treaty 
to  the  Minister :  and  all  being  concluded  a  salute  of 
twenty-one  guns  was  fired.  One  of  the  Envoys  about  to 
proceed  to  Europe  was  present.  After  the  formal  pro- 
ceedings were  ended,  the  Japanese  officials  were  courte- 
ously shown  over  the  frigate,  partook  of  some  refreshment, 
and  left  the  ship  with  every  demonstration  and  profes- 
sion of  mutual  good  will. 

The  awkwardness  of  the  position  is  strangely  exhibited 
in  all  these  proceedings.  The  treaties  with  Prussia  and 
Switzerland  were  under  negotiation  at  the  time  of  the 
greatest  pressure  being  brought  to  bear  upon  the  Tycoon 
to  close  the  ports  and  annul  the  treaties. 

M.  HUMBERT  the  Swiss  Envoy,  with  M.  BRENNWALD 
his  secretary,  and  an  attache,  left  Yokohama  for  Yedo  on 
the  5th  February  in  H.  N.  M.  S.  Djambi,  accompanied 
by  Mr.  VON  POLESBROEK  the  Netherlands  Consul-general ; 
and  on  the  following  day  the  treaty  with  the  Helvetian 
Eepublic  was  signed. 

The  Japanese  Embassy  being  now  on  the  eve  of 
departure  for  Europe,  the  Gorojiu  called  to  mind  that 
there  were  certain  agreements  of  the  previous  embassy 
with  the  European  Governments  which  had  never  been 
fulfilled.  They  judged,  and  no  doubt  not  without  reason, 
that  if  these  still  remained  unnoticed  any  promises  made 


DEPASTURE  OF  NEW  EMBASSY  FOR  EUROPE.  285 

by  their  present  representatives  would  be  received  with 
caution  if  not  with  distrust.  They  placed  themselves  in 
communication,  therefore,  with  each  of  the  powers  to 
which  their  word  had  been  formerly  pledged,  notifying 
them  that  in  compliance  with  the  promises  of  the  Envoys 
they  had  sent  in  the  previous  year  to  Europe,  they  now 
reduced  the  duties  on  certain  articles,  specifying  them 
in  full.  They  can  hardly  claim  to  have  acted  on  their 
engagements  with  a  good  grace  ;  for  the  fulfilment  was 
left  to  the  very  eve  of  the  departure  of  the  new  envoys. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  the  previous  Embassy  went 
to  Europe  in  H.  M.  S.  Odin.  The  Government  refused 
a  similar  courtesy  offered  by  M.  DE  BELLECOURT  on  the 
present  occasion ;  preferring  to  avail  themselves  of  the 
ordinary  accommodation  offered  by  the  French  mail 
steamers.  They  accepted  a  passage,  however,  as  far  as 
Shanghai ;  and  accordingly,  the  Envoys  and  their  suite 
embarked  on  the  6th  February  on  board  H.  I.  M.  S. 
Monge,  and  left  the  harbour  under  a  salute  of  seA'enteen 
guns  from  the  Kanagawa  forts. 

The  affairs  of  the  settlement  of  Yokohama  naturally 
occupied  a  good  deal  of  attention.  The  fire  at  Messrs. 
KNIFFLER  &  Co.'s  led  to  the  formation  o  f  a  Fire-brigade, 
the  first  committee  of  which  was  composed  of  Messrs.  S.  J. 
GOWER,  E.  PIQUET,  W.  C.  CLARKE,  J.  C.  PHASER  and  J. 
HUDSON:  supplemented  at  a  subsequent  meeting  by  Messrs. 
A.  J.  MACPHERSON,  A.  KEIS,  0.  S.  FREEMAN,  E.  B.  SMITH, 
N.  P.  KINGDON,  J.  0.  P.  STEARNS,  M.  J.  B.  NOORDHOEK  HEGT, 
and  E.  KAISER.  Mr.  HEGT,  always  the  foremost  active 
assistant  at  any  fire  that  occurred  either  in  the  settle- 
ment or  the  native  town,  placed  at  the  disposal 
of  the  brigade  an  engine  which  he  had  imported, 
and  kept  always  upon  his  premises,  undertaking 
also  to  keep  it  in  working  order.  The  members  of 


286  YOtWG  JAPAN. 

the  Volunteer  corps  enrolled  themselves  as  members  of 
the  Fire-brigade,  almost  to  a  man.  Changes  iu  the  per- 
sonnel of  communities  in  the  far-East  have  always  been 
one  of  their  characteristics  and  drawbacks.  Although  the 
Volunteer  corps  had  been  so  short  a  time  in  existence, 
Mr.  GOWER,  in  anticipation  of  an  early  removal  to 
Hongkong,  had  resigned  the  captaincy,  which  was 
transferred  to  Mr.  CLARKE,  and  Mr.  F.  H.  BELL  (W. 
B.  ADAMSON  &  Co.)  now  resigned  the  treasurership,  as  he 
was  about  to  reside  in  Shanghai.  Both  were  elected 
honorary  members  ;  and  Mr.  E.  J.  SPENCE  was  appointed 
treasurer  in  the  place  of  Mr.  BELL. 

At  the  first  annual  statutory  meeting  of  the  British  epis- 
copal Church,  Mr.  8.  MAINE  resigned  his  treasurership  in 
consequence  of  his  early  departure  from  Japan,  and  Mr. 
W.  BOUUNE  replaced  him.  Messrs.  W.  MARSHALL  and 
I.  J.  MILLER  were  elected  trustees,  in  the  room  of 
Messrs.  WILLGOSS  and  ALCOCK.  Thanks  were  voted  to 
several  persons  for  special  contributions  to  the  church — 
viz.,  to  the  Visitors  to  Yokohama  for  the  Harmonium ; 
to  Captain  VYSE  for  the  Church  stove ;  to  Mr.  EUSDEN, 
for  the  font ;  and  to  Mr.  MARCUS  FLOWERS  for  the 
Lectern.  A  resolution  was  also  passed  that  was  moved 
1>3T  Mr.  A.  J.  MACPIIKRSON,  "that  all  designs  for  the 
adornment  and  embellishment  of  the  Church  shall  be 
submitted  to  the  Committee,  and  shall  be  approved  of  by 
them ;  and  that  all  gifts  offered  to  the  Church  shall  be 
sanctioned  by  the  committee  previous  to  being  placed  in 
the  fabric,  the  end  being  the  preservation  of  that  un- 
animity so  desirable  in  Church  matters." 

A  remarkable  feature  in  the  foreign  communities  in 
China  and  Japan  has  always  been  the  liberality  with 
which  they  will  subscribe  for  public  purposes,  and  the 
unwillingness  they  display  to  attend  public  meetings.  In 
the  instance  of  the  Fire-brigade  in  Yokohama,  it  was 


THE  PUBLIC  HOSPITAL.  287 

difficult  to  get  a  proper  meeting  together  when  once  it 
had  been  established;  and  yet  so  liberally  were  the 
residents  inclined  to  support  it,  that  within  one  month 
they  subscribed  $1685  towards  the  fund  for  the  purchase 
of  engines,  besides  $975  for  incidental  expenses — large 
sums  for  so  small  a  community. 

Among  the  public  institutions  early  established  in 
Yokohama  was  a  Public  Hospital.  Considering  the 
nature  and  the  size  of  the  community,  it  would  not  have 
been  supposed  that  this  would  have  been  particularly 
called  for  ;  but  it  was  so  in  reality ;  and  notwithstanding 
that  drugs,  stores  and  hospital  necessaries,  were  supplied 
from  the  hospital  ship  at  Hongkong  at  Government 
prices,  and  the  additional  fact  that  the  subscriptions  and 
donations  collected  in  1863  amounted  to  $2,065,  the 
receipts  did  not  meet  the  expenditure.  Dr.  JENKINS 
was  the  medical  officer  attached  to  it,  and  gave  his 
services  gratuitously. 

As  yet  the  settlement  of  Yokohama  had  been  to- 
lerably free  from  any  epidemic  ;  and,  so  far  as  foreigners 
were  concerned,  the  good  character  for  salubrity  that  it 
enjoyed  was  fully  justified ;  but  amongst  the  Japanese 
certain  diseases  were  always  more  or  less  present  in  their 
respective  seasons: — the  much-dreaded  small-pox  in- 
variably making  its  appearance  in  the  native  quarters  in 
the  winter  and  the  spring.  This  was  a  disease  so 
common  among  the  natives  that  it  appeared  to  have  no 
terrors  for  them.  They  quite  counted  on  having  it  at 
some  time  or  other,  and  were  glad  if  it  came  to  their 
children  in  very  early  youth,  as  they  considered  that  it 
was  more  easily  got  over  in  the  tender  years  of  childhood, 
than  it  was  later  in  life.  Few  of  them  escaped,  and  its 
effects  were  seen  on  the  countenances  of  a  large  propor- 
tion of  the  population.  It  carried  many  off  by  death,  but 
nothing  like  so  many  as  might  have  been  expected ;  and 


288  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

how  it  happened  that  the  disease  was  ever  absent  was  a 
marvel  to  foreigners,  seeing  that  children  covered  with  it, 
and  to  whom  foreigners  would  instinctively  give  a  very 
wide  berth,  were  not  kept  indoors,  or  separated  from  the 
rest  of  the  family,  but  were  carried  (more  japonicej  on 
the  backs  of  other  children  only  a  few  years  older  than 
themselves,  or  on  their  mothers'  backs,  in  the  open  air ; 
their  bearers  mixing  quite  freely  with  their  friends  and 
acquaintance  as  if  nothing  was  the  matter.  That  they 
acknowledged  that  danger  did  exist  was  evidenced  by  the 
fact  that  any  house  in  which  the  disease  was,  had  to  be 
marked  b}r  certain  slips  of  paper  suspended  in  a  straw 
string  across  the  doorway ;  and  the  children  themselves 
had  a  scarlet  cloth  wrapped  round  their  heads,  to  call 
attention  to  the  fact  of  their  being  infected.  There 
was,  however,  no  special  purification  of  the  houses  nor 
destruction  of  the  clothes  of  those  who  had  been  afflicted, 
but  everything  was  left  to  chance.  Some  slight  alarm 
was  felt  by  foreigners  in  the  spring  of  1864,  in  con- 
sequence of  varioloid  making  its' appearance  in  one  of  the 
ships  in  the  harbour.  The  immediate  effect,  however, 
was  to  direct  public  attention  more  than  ever  to  the 
sanitary  state  of  the  settlement.  It  was  frankly  ad- 
mitted that  the  Municipal  Council  which  had  been 
elected  in  the  preceding  year  had  proved  a  total  failure  ; 
and  as  the  Japanese,  however  willing,  were  really 
ignorant  of  the  best  method  for  putting  the  drains  and 
keeping  the  roads  in  proper  condition,  discussions  arose, 
which  culminated  in  the  matter  being  placed  under  the 
charge  of  certain  members  of  the  comrnunhVy — of  which 
more  will  be  said  presently. 

At  this  time  there  were  reasons  for  supposing  that  in 
addition  to  Tea  and  Silk,  Japan  would  add  Cotton  to  its 
regular  staple  exports.  Under  the  stimulus  created  by 
high  prices,  the  export  from  1st  July  1863  to  January 


SHOGATZU.  289 

81st  1864,  amounted  to  37,583  bales,  against  6,227  bales 
for  the  same  period  in  the  preceding  year  ;  but  although 
the  export  continued  throughout  the  year,  it  gradually 
diminished,  and  the  trade  in  Cotton  from  Japan  to 
England  is  now — nil. 

I  have  not  yet  spoken  of  one  of  the  brightest  periods 
of  the  Japanese  year — Shogatzu — or  the  New  Year. 

It  is  vastly  different  now  in  its  manner  of  observance 
from  what  it  was  in  1864.  It  was  one  of  the  most 
joyously  kept  holidays  it  is  possible  to  conceive.  Great 
preparations  were  made  for  it  for  some  days  beforehand. 
The  houses  of  the  wealthy,  the  offices  of  the  yakunins, 
the  shops  of  the  traders  and  the  humblest  dwellings  of 
the  poor,  were  thoroughly  cleansed  and  purified ;  the 
mats  renewed ;  old  and  worn-out  articles  of  every  day 
use — such  as  the  o-hatchi  or  rice-tubs,  the  various 
culinary  implements,  and  the  hundred  and  one  things  in 
daily  household  use — were  repaired  or  replaced  by  new 
ones;  mochi,  a  peculiar  kjnd  of  rice-cake  was  prepared; 
and  everything  made  '  as  nice  as  a  new  pin.'  The  best 
clothes  were  all  got  in  readiness  ;  the  Lares  and  Penates 
duly  attended  to  and  honoured;  presents  provided  for 
especial  friends  or  claimants  ;  the  exterior  of  the  houses 
decorated  very  much  after  the  fashion  of  Christian  lands 
at  Christmas  time ;  and  above  all,  every  outstanding 
account  was  collected,  paid  or  settled.  Then  were  the 
people  prepared  for  the  full  enjoyment  of  the  New  Year. 

The  streets  which  had  been  every  evening,  and  for  the 
last  three  or  four  days  of  the  old  year,  crowded  with 
stands  for  the  sale  of  the  different  things  in  demand  for 
the  great  festival — such,  for  instance,  as  the  evergreens 
and  emblems  for  decoration  ;  little  miyas  or  small  wooden 
temples,  which  are  the  central  objects  on  their  house- 
hold altars  ;  lobsters  and  ferns,  cum  multis  aliis ; — were 

VOL.   I  JJ 


290  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

now  as  quiet  anddeserted  by  daylight  on  New  Year's  day 
as  if  they  had  never  been  the  scenes  of  animation  that 
had  only  just  passed  away.  The  houses  were  all  shut  ; 
and  the  people  who  had  been  experiencing  such  a  period 
of  toil  and  excitement  during  the  preceding  days,  were 
taking  a  good  rest  before  entering  on  the  duties  and 
pleasures  before  them. 

It  was  well  worth  a  stroll  through  the  native  quarters 
to  see  all  that  I  have  thus  cursorily  alluded  to.  The 
decorations  were  such  as  not  only  had  a  beautiful  effect 
to  the  eye  ;  but  having  a  distinct  meaning,  they  possessed 
more  than  a  common  interest.  Our  own  Christmas 
decorations,  if  they  ever  had  any  particular  meaning,  are 
now  nothing  but  evergreen  adornments  marking  a 
peculiar  season  of  festivity.  The  Japanese  decorations 
are  something  more. 

It  was  usual,  and  is  so  still,  to  place  on  the  two  sides 
of  the  principal  entrance  of  the  house  a  fir-tree  and  a 
bamboo,  and  to  unite  them  by  a  piece  of  curiously  twisted 
straw  rope  on  which  is  hung  a  device  called  shime-kazari, 
consisting  principally  of  a  boiled  lobster,  an  orange  and 
a  dried  persimmon,  a  spray  of  fern,  an  oak-leaf  and  a 
piece  of  seaweed — the  whole  surmounted  by  a  piece  of 
charcoal  wrapped  in  paper. 

The  fir-tree  and  the  bamboo  are  emblems  of  long  life, 
as  also  is  the  orange.  The  lobster  typefies  a  hearty  old 
age,  strong  though  bent.  The  dried  persimmon,  very 
similar  in  appearance  to,  and  quite  as  sweet  as  the 
Smyrna  fig,  is  emblematical  of  the  sweetness  of  conjugal 
constancy ;  the  fern  long  retains  its  verdure  ;  the  oak- 
leaf  does  not  drop  until  the  young  leaves  begin  to 
burst  from  their  buds  ;  and  the  piece  of  charcoal  further 
denotes  eternal  stability. 

The  bamboos  and  fir-trees  were  generally  supported  in 
bundles  of  firewood  ;  and  it  was  usual  to  keep  the  decora- 


NEW  YEAR'S  GAMES.  291 

tions  intact  until  the  7th  day  of  the  year,  when  the 
shime-kazari  were  burnt  as  an  offering  to  the  gods. 

As  the  morning  of  the  New  Year's  day  advanced,  the 
shutters  were  gradually  taken  down  from  the  front  of  the 
houses,  and  the  family  appeared  en  grande  tenue  pre- 
pared to  receive  visitors,  or  in  some  instances  all 
equipped  for  making  calls.  There  was  little  visiting, 
however,  on  the  first  day.  This  was  generally 
left  for  the  second.  Officials  were  seen  moving 
about  in  groups,  attended  by  their  kerai,  on  their 
round  of  ceremonial  calls — for  this  is  strictly  enjoined 
by  authority — that  all  the  subordinates  of  certain  grades 
inofficial  employ,  do  present  themselves  in  ceremonial 
dress  to  their  superiors,  to  offer  the  congratulations  of 
the  season.  It  was  a  particularly  interesting  and  pic- 
turesque sight ;  the  rich  silk  fabrics  of  the  dresses  and 
the  peculiar  wing-like  robing  of  the  shoulders  imparting 
both  beauty  and  originality  to  the  scene. 

Then  as  the  day  progressed  the  streets  became  more 
and  more  filled — but  not  with  the  busy  anxious  crowd 
usually  seen  in  them.  Far,  very  far  from  it.  What  a 
scene  of  merriment  it  used  to  be  when  the  weather  was 
fine !  Groups  of  men,  women  and  children,  all  flying 
kites  or  playing  at  battledore  and  shuttlecock.  The 
kites  were  of  all  shapes  and  sizes,  and  old  and  young- 
were  engaged  flying  them.  But  the  great  game  for 
fun  and  merriment  was  the  battledore.  It  was  played  by 
parties  of  six  or  eight.  All  were  dressed  in  their  best. 
The  hair  black  and  glossy,  and  in  the  case  of  the  women 
with  some  little  bit  of  coloured  crape,  or  coral-mounted 
haii-  pins,  or  tortoise-shell  combs.  All  looked  bright  and 
happy.  What  screams  of  laughter  would  be  heard, 
when,  after  keeping  up  the  shuttlecock  from  one  to 
another  for  some  time,  it  would  fall  to  the  ground,  and 
the  luckless  player  who  missed  it  would  have  to  bear  the 


292  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

penalty  of  a  slap  on  the  back  from  all  the  other  players  ; 
or,  in  some  instances,  the  less  agreeable  one  of  a  mark 
down  the  face  with  an  Indian  ink  line.  But  all  had  to 
endure  it  in  turn,  and  naught  but  mirth  and  jollity  could 
be  seen  among  them.  Laughter  is  always  catching ; 
but  Japanese  laughter  on  such  an  occasion  surpasses 
anything  of  the  kind  to  be  heard  elsewhere ;  and  such 
is  their  heartiness  and  kind  nature  that  the  good  folk 
are  only  too  happy  to  see  others  enjoy  their  games  as 
well  as  themselves. 

These  citizens  certainly  had  not  an  unkind  look  or 
word  for  foreigners.  They  were  glad  to  receive  them 
and  give  them  a  hearty  welcome  in  their  houses,  and  I 
never  heard  of  any  one  who  availed  himself  of  their 
hospitality  being  otherwise  than  charmed  with  their 
light  hearts,  open  hands  and  good-breeding. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

LIFE  IN  YOKOHAMA. — PROGRESS  OF  TEADE. — YOKOHAMA  UN- 

FOETUNATE  IN  MUNICIPAL  MATTEES. FIEE. — SIE  E.  ALCOCK'S 

EETUEN  TO  JAPAN. — LIEUT.  COLONEL  NEALE's  DEPARTURE. — 
SCHEME  FOE  IEON  FLOATING  DOCK. — 'FRENCH  HATOBA  COM- 
PLETED.— ATTACK  ON  ME.  SUTTON  OF  NAGASAKI. — FOEEIGN 
MINISTEES  CALL  ON  THE  TYCOON'S  GOVEENMENT  TO  DESTEOY 
THE  CHOSHIU  BATTEEIES,  AND  OPEN  THE  INLAND  SEA. — COM- 
MUNICATIONS WITH  THE  GOVERNMENT. — PEACE  POLICY  RE- 
PORTED AS  PREVALENT  AT  KIOTO. — SATSUMA  AND  SILK. — 
CONSULAR  CHANGES. — AEEIVAL  OF  M.  LEON  EOCHES,  THE 
NEW  FEENCH  MINISTEE. — SIR  E.  ALCOCK  OBTAINS  PEOMISE  FOE 
A  EECEEATION  GROUND. — DEPARTURE  OF  M.  DE  BELLECOURT. 
— ARRIVAL  OF  "  CONQUEROR  "  WITH  ROYAL  MARINES,  AND 
"  SEMIRAMIS  "  WITH  FRENCH  FUSILIERS. — RETURN  OF  TYCOON 
TO  YEDO. COMMERCIAL. — DECIDED  IMPROVEMENT  OF  RELA- 
TIONS BETWEEN  JAPANESE  AND  FOREINERS. 

THE  presence  of  so  many  ships  of  war  in  harbour  im- 
parted a  wonderful  life  to  the  settlement  of  Yokohama ; 
and  the  arrival  of  a  portion  of  H.  B.  M.'s  XXth  regiment, 
added  to  it.  There  was  a  large  amount  of  entertaining 
going  on  ashore,  so  far  as  the  means  at  the  command  of 
the  residents  permitted  it ;  but  as  yet  few  large  gather- 


294  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

ings  of  this  kind  had  taken  place.  Mr.  D.  DE  GRAEFF 
VON  POLESBROECK,  the  Dutch  Consul-general,  a  man  of 
large  sympathies  and  most  hospitable  proclivities,  gave 
a  magnificent  diplomatic  entertainment  on  the  19th 
February,  in  honour  of  the  birthday  of  the  King  of 
Holland.  It  was  on  a  scale  that  quite  put  everything  of 
the  kind  that  had  preceded  it,  into  the  shade. 

I  have  as  yet  intentionally  said  little  about  the  progress 
of  trade  between  Japan  and  foreign  countries  ;  but  a  few 
words  here  on  the  subject  may  not  be  inappropriate. 

Four  years  before  this,  of  course  there  had  been  no 
trade  whatever  with  Japan,  except  the  modicum  done 
by  the  Netherlands  factory  at  Nagasaki.  In  1862  it 
began  to  show  signs  of  future  importance  ;  for  83  vessels 
of  15,000  tons  arrived  in  Kanagawa  during  the  first  six 
months  of  that  year,  of  which  14  were  British  and  12 
American.  But  in  the  interval  between  that  time  and 
the  end  of  1863  the  trade  was  nearly  doubled.  There 
were  74  vessels,  aggregating  25,000  tons — of  which  40 
were  British  and  19  American.  This  too,  was  in  spite 
of  the  very  troublous  political  disturbances  that  had  been 
existing  during  nearly  the  entire  period,  and  the 
obstructions  placed  in  the  way  of  trade  by  the 
Government. 

In  1862  the  Japanese  bought  imports  in  Yokohama 
to  the  extent  of  £70,000,  in  1863  to  the  value  of 
£112,000;  thus  showing  the  expansibility  of  the  trade. 
In  1859  the  Japanese  supposed  they  had  only  sufficient 
silk  in  the  country  for  their  own  use.  In  1862  they  sold 
to  Yokohama  merchants  £200,000  worth,  while  the  total 
value  of  silk  bought  by  foreigners  in  the  season  1863,  was 
nearly  £2,500,000.  Again  in  Cotton  no  one  expected  to 
iind  any  very  large  supplies  in  Japan  ;  and  yet,  from 
July  1st  1863  to  February  1864,  they  supplied  us  with 
42,000  bales,  although  in  1862  they  could  not  spare  a 


SANITARY  MEASURES.  295 

single  bale.  These  are  remarkable  figures ;  and  more 
particularly  so  when  it  is  considered  under  what  circum- 
stances the  business  was  done. 

And  now  respecting  sanitary  measures  for  the  settle- 
ment, a  public  meeting  was  held  at  the  residence  of  Mr. 
S.  J.  GOWEB,  (where  almost  all  such  useful  meetings 
were  held  in  those  days),  especially  with  the  view  of 
taking  action  with  regard  to  drains,  sea-frontage,  &c. 
Mr.  FRANK  HALL  (WALSH,  HALL  &  Co.),  occupied  the 
chair.  The  result  was  the  establishment  of  a  Scavenger 
corps  that  should  daily  clear  the  streets,  drains  and 
Bund,  of  any  offensive  rubbish,  and  remove  it  to  a  suitable 
distance  from  the  settlement ;  and,  the  formation  of  a 
corps  of  boats,  of  which  one  was  to  be  at  the  end  of  each 
street  leading  to  the  Bund,  in  order  to  receive  and  convey 
away  all  the  rubbish  collected  by  the  scavengers  and  by 
the  coolies  of  private  houses. 

These  particulars  may  be  passed  over  by  indifferent 
readers ;  but  they  are  of  interest  to  those  who  care  to 
observe  the  progress  of  the  settlement ;  for  in  the  matter 
of  local  government  it  has  been  the  most  unfortunate  of 
all  foreign  settlements  in  these  seas.  It  has  paid  a 
heavy  ground  rent  to  the  Japanese  Government  for  all 
the  years  it  has  been  in  existence ;  and  not  until  1868 
and  1869  did  the  Japanese  take  any  intelligent  means  for 
improving  it.  Even  now,  the  drainage  is  imperfect,  the 
streets  are  requiring  repairs,  and  the  streets  of  the 
foreign  settlement  are  dark  at  night,  while  the  adjoining 
native  settlement  is  brilliantly  lighted  with  gas.  Had  it 
not  been  for  the  efforts  of  a  few  gentlemen,  and  those  the 
representatives  of  the  leading  mercantile  houses  in  the 
place,  there  is  no  knowing  what  epidemic  or  other  un- 
wholesome influence  might  have  overtaken  us ;  and  it  is 
doubtful  if  we  should  ever  have  got  above  the  level  of  an 
ordinary  ill-drained,  uncared-for,  Japanese  town, 


296  YOUNd  JAPAN. 

Messrs.  (TOWER  (JARDINE,  MATHESON  &  Co.)>  N.  P. 
KINGDON  (DENT  &  Co.),  MACPHERSON  (MACPHERSON  and 
MARSHALL)  and  FRANK  HALL,  were  appointed  a  Committee 
to  carry  into  effect  the  resolution,  and  to  make  the  neces- 
sary assessment.  The  energy  with  which  action  was 
taken  produced  the  best  results. 

On  the  23rd  February  a  fire  took  place  on  the  premises 
occupied  by  J.  ALLMAND  JUNIOR  &  Co.,  situated  in  the 
midst  of  the  settlement.  The  engines  of  Messrs.  KINGDON, 
MAINE  and  HEGT  were  quickly  on  the  spot,  but  the 
supply  of  water  was  so  small  as  to  render  them  almost 
valueless.  The  Fire  brigade,  in  the  meanwhile  was  com- 
pletely organised;  subscriptions  had  considerably  aug- 
mented, and  three  fine  fire-engines  were  ordered  from 
home.  All  these  came  out,  and  subsequently  several 
more ;  but  the  water  supply  is  very  slightly  improved  even 
to  the  present  day. 

On  the  2nd  March,  Sir  BUTHERFORD  ALCOCK  returned 
from  England  and  at  once  resumed  the  duties  of  his 
office.  On  the  8th  a  farewell  dinner  was  given  to  Lieut. 
Colonel  NEALE,  and  on  the  llth  he  took  his  departure  in 
H.  I.  M.  S.  Semiramis  for  Shanghai,  there  to  take 
passage  for  home  in  the  mail  steamer. 

A  scheme  for  the  formation  of  an  Iron  Floating  dock 
for  Yokohama  was  proposed  at  this  time.  A  Mr. 
EOBINSON,  representing  the  firm  of  RANDOLPH  ELDER  & 
Co.  of  Glasgow,  arrived,  bringing  with  him  a  model  of  a 
dock  just  completed  by  that  firm  for  the  French  Govern- 
ment at  Saigon.  A  good  many  persons  intimated  their 
willingness  to  become  shareholders,  but  the  enterprise 
fell  through  and  was  abandoned. 

On  the  29th  March  the  new  French  Hatoba  was  opened 
to  the  public. 


MB.  BUTTON  WOUNDED. 


Professor  RISLEY,  who  had  made  a  great  name  for 
himself  in  America  and  Europe,  many  years  before,  as  a 
wonderfully  successful  acrobat,  arrived  in  Yokohama  at 
this  time  in  charge  of  a  circus.  The  arrival  is  of  no 
further  interest  than  as  giving  the  opportunity  of  men- 
tioning by  the  way,  that  he  was  the  first  to  introduce 
dairies  :  to  build  an  ice-house  in  Yokohama :  and  to  fill  it 
with  ice  which  he  imported  from  Tientsin.  It  was  a 
great  boon  to  the  public.  I  may  further  notice  that  he 
was  the  first  who  took  away  from  here  a  Japanese 
acrobatic  troupe  for  exhibition  in  America  and  Europe. 

In  Yokohama  and  Yedo  an  extraordinary  calm  had 
existed  for  some  time.  It  was  quite  understood  that 
wiser  counsels  as  regards  foreigners  prevailed  at  Kioto. 
The  obstructions  to  commerce,  if  not  removed,  were 
certainly  relaxed,  and  but  for  the  malaise  in  the  one  clan 
of  Choshiu,  all  might  have  gone  on  prosperously  if  not 
altogether  harmoniously.  From  Nagasaki  there  came 
the  unwelcome  news  that  Mr.  SUTTON  (now  the  proprietor 
of  the  "  Rising  Sun  and  Nagasaki  Express  ")  had  been 
savagely  attacked  by  a  two-sworded  man  whom  he  had 
accidentally  touched  in  quietly  passing  through  the 
street.  He  was  severely  wounded,  and  lost  his  right 
arm.  His  life  was  for  a  time  in  danger,  but  happily  he 
recovered. 

The  outrages  on  the  foreign  ships  which  had  led  to  the 
punishment  of  the  Nagato  clan  by  individual  men-of-war 
of  the  nationalities  whose  vessels  had  been  fired  upon, 
had,  as  it  happened,  been  confined  to  American,  Dutch 
and  French  ships.  They  were  looked  upon,  however,  by 
the  representatives  of  Foreign  Powers,  as  an  attempt  to 
carry  out  the  Mikado's  edict  against  all  foreigners  ;  and 
as  early  as  the  28th  July  1863,  the  British  Charge 
d'affaires  wrote  to  the  Japanese  Ministers  for  Foreign 

VOL. i  KK 


298  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

Affairs,  that,  acting  upon  this  belief,  he  made  common 
cause  with  his  colleagues,  and  called  upon  the  Tycoon  to 
destroy  the  batteries  of  Choshiu  and  remove  his  guns. 
This  was  in  accordance  with  the  resolution  come  to  at  a 
meeting  of  the  Foreign  Ministers,  held  on  the  25th 
July  :— 

"  After  discussion  it  has  been  agreed  that  it  is  indis- 
pensable for  the  maintenance  of  the  sacred  treaty  rights 
concluded  with  Japan,  to  proceed  immediately  to  the  re- 
opening of  the  Inland  Sea,  always  availed  of  up  to  this 
time,  and  of  which  the  free  navigation  has  been  wantonly 
interrupted  by  the  outrageous  aggressions  of  which  the 
daimio  of  Nagato  has  been  guilty,  in  firing  from  the 
batteries  erected  on  the  coasts  of  his  territory,  upon 
merchant-ships  and  men-of-war  of  the  Treaty  Powers." 

Nothing,  however,  was  done.  Month  after  month  went 
by.  The  usual  promises  were  made ;  and  the  usual 
delays  were  requested ;  but  now,  in  the  spring  of  1864, 
the  Prince  of  Choshiu,  or  his  clansmen  on  his  behalf, 
became  more  troublesome  than  ever.  It  was  reported 
that  since  firing  on  the  Satsuma  ship  in  the  month  of 
January,  they  had  stopped  every  junk  passing  through 
the  Straits  of  Shimonoseki,  and  if  they  contained  cotton 
or  other  goods  intended  for  foreigners  they  were  burned 
and  the  crews  murdered.  I  am  not  at  all  doubtful  as  to 
the  truth  of  the  report.  It  came  through  Japanese  mer- 
chants, but  it  was  believed  and  reported  by  the  foreign 
Consul  at  Nagasaki:  and  it  was  stated  that  foreign 
merchants  had  been  among  the  heavy  losers ;  inasmuch  as 
they  had  made  large  advances  for  the  purchase  of  the 
cotton  '  to  arrive,'  and  it  never  came  to  hand.  It  was 
alleged,  and  it  was  evident,  that  the  trade  of  Nagasaki 
must  be  stopped  unless  Choshiu  could  be  curbed  in  these 
depredations. 

The  clan  had  been  extremely  active  in  constructing 
forts  in  advantageous  positions.  And,  by  forcing  all  boat- 


ALL  FOREIGNERS  OP  ONE  OPINION. 

men,  farmers,  labourers  and  peasants  in  the  territory,  to 
serve  in  the  army  several  days  in  each  month,  and 
supplying  them  with  muskets,  a  nominal  force  of  over 
40,000  men  had  been  got  together. 

It  may  have  been  these  facts  that  induced  Sir 
EUTHERFORD  ALCOCK  to  suggest  to  his  diplomatic  con- 
freres, the  propriety  of  taking  prompt  and  decisive 
measures,  once  and  for  all,  to  put  an  end  to  these  proceed- 
ings of  this  troublesome  clan,  and  to  open  the  Inland  Sea 
to  the  world's  traffic,  according  to  the  original  agreement. 

And  here  I  would  observe  that  at  the  time  of  these 
transactions,  all  foreigners  in  Japan,  judging  by  what 
they  knew,  what  they  saw,  and  what  they  heard,  were  of 
one  opinion.  They  honestly  and  firmly  believed  that 
there  was  but  one  course  to  take  with  regard  to  Choshiu, 
and  that  was  the  course  taken  by  the  ministers.  Not 
one  of  us  doubted  that  there  was  truth  in  all  we  heard 
about  his  proceedings  ;  or  that  the  ministers  knew  a 
great  deal  more  even  than  we  did.  I  go  further.  I 
am  morally  convinced  that  if  the  foreign  forces  had  not 
been  put  in  movement  against  Choshiu,  the  course  of 
events  would  have  been  very  different  to  what  it  has.  Of 
course  it  is  impossible  to  say  exactly  what  it  would  have 
been ;  but  when,  in  after  days,  the  Tycoon  took  it  in  hand 
to  punish  the  clan,  battle  after  battle  was  fought,  almost 
always  resulting  favourably  for  the  clan.  It  was  alto- 
gether too  strong  for  the  Tycoon's  forces  ;  and  it  would 
have  been  more  potent  still  against  them  had  not  we 
crippled  its  power  in  a  large  degree,  beforehand. 
If  then  it  had  fairly  got  the  upper  hand,  there  is  no 
knowing  what  would  have  been  the  result.  The 
inveteracy  of  the  clan  against  foreigners  has  been 
repeatedly  described  to  me  by  an  officer  of  the  claii  as 
something  intense.  "  I  can  hardly  understand  now," 
my  informant  has  said,  "  that  I  ever  entertained  such 


300  YOUNG   JAPAN. 

feelings  towards  any  human  beings.  But  we  hated 
foreigners  from  the  first,  inherently  ;  and  then  we  looked 
upon  all  the  misfortune  that  had  come  upon  us  and  our 
prince  as  caused  by  them.  At  that  time  I  should  have 
thought  it  an  act  of  the  highest  virtue,  whatever  were  the 
consequences,  to  cut  down  a  foreigner ;  and  if  more  than 
one — so  much  the  better." 

This  is  quite  comprehensible ;  and  seeing  the  strength 
and  influence  of  Choshiu,  my  belief  is,  that  without  some 
decisive  display  of  strength  on  the  part  of  foreign  powers 
on  that  clan  in  particular,  foreign  affairs  would  have  gone 
from  bad  to  worse,  and  a  much  greater  effort  would  have 
had  to  be  made  at  a  later  period,  against  the  whole  nation. 

The  Ministers  having  come  to  a  resolution  to  open  the 
Inland  Sea,  placed  themselves  in  communication  with  the 
Gorojiu,  and  told  that  august  council  of  their  intentions  ; 
declaring  that  if  the  Tycoon  could  not  effect  it  by  the 
punishment  of  Choshiu,  it  should  be  undertaken  by  the 
foreign  Admirals  and  squadrons  now  in  Japanese  waters. 
The  Gorojiu  were  powerless.  They  could  only  plead  to 
be  allowed  to  confer  with  Choshiu,  and  to  report  to  Kioto. 
And  so  things  stood  shortly  after  Sir  KUTHERFORD'S  return. 
The  denouement  of  these  matters  I  must  relate  further  on. 

Whilst  the  Ministers  were  hatching  this  scheme  for 
sending  their  forces  to  the  Inland  Sea,  intelligence  came 
from  Kioto  that  the  Council  of  daimios  had  agreed  upon 
a  peaceful  policy  in  reference  to  foreign  intercourse.  It 
was  said  that  the  Tycoon  was  to  remain  at  the  metro- 
polis until  he  had  fulfilled  the  duty  now  devolving  upon 
him,  of  dealing  with  Choshiu;  and  no  doubt  he  re- 
cognised the  fact  that  in  doing  this  duty  he  had  hard 
work  cut  out  for  him. 

As  to  the  officers  of  the  Satsuma  clan,  they  showed  the 
wisdom  of  the  serpent,  if  not  the  harnilessness  of  the 
dove.  Large  quantities  of  silk  now  arrived  in  Yokohama ; 


CONSULAR  AND  OTHER  ARRANGEMENTS.        301 

and  it  was  said  that  they  had  bought  up  all  that  came  to 
Yedo,  at  a  low  price,  and  then  sent  it  for  sale  to  Yoko- 
hama, realising  a  very  fine  profit. 

Mr.  MORRISON,  H.  B.  M.  Consul  at  Nagasaki,  who,  it 
will  be  remembered,  had  been  wounded  in  the  first 
attack  of  the  Legation,  now  retired  from  the  service,  and 
Dr.  MYBURGH  was  appointed  to  succeed  him.  As  he  was 
permitted,  however,  to  go  home  on  leave,  Mr.  A.  A.  J. 
GOWER  went  to  Nagasaki  as  Acting  Consul. 

H.  S.  Mons.  LEON  EOCHES,  the  new  French  Minister, 
with  the  Comte  DE  TURENNE  as  attache,  arrived  on  the 
27th  April. 

Among  the  labours  of  Sir  EUTHERFORD  since  his  return 
was  one  which  has  proved  very  beneficial  to  foreign  re- 
sidents. He  succeeded  in  inducing  the  local  authorities 
to  grant  a  fitting  site  for  a  recreation  ground,  con- 
veniently placed,  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  settlement. 
The  arrangement  at  first  made  was  not  carried  out,  but 
it  ultimately  culminated  in  our  having  the  new  road 
round  by  Negishi  and  Mississippi  Bay,  and  in  the  fine 
race-course  of  which  Yokohama  is  justly  proud. 

The  departure  of  H.  E.  Mons.  DE  BELLECOURT  from 
Japan,  on  board  the  P.  &  0.  S.  Nepaul,  took  place  on  the 
27th  May.  He  had  borne  with  Sir  EUTHERFORD  ALCOCK, 
and  Lieut.  Colonel  NEALE,  the  burden  and  heat  of  the 
day,  in  opening  the  ports  ;  and  he  left  amid  the  very 
universal  regret  of  the  residents. 

The  English  squadron  was  now  strengthened  by  the 
arrival  of  H.  M.  S.  Conqueror,  with  530  Eoyal  Marine 
Light  Infantry,  under  the  command  of  Colonel  SUTHER. 

Mr.  EUDOLF  LINDAU  returned  to  Japan  on  the  6th  June, 
accredited  as  the  Consul  for  the  Swiss  Confederation.  In 
his  absence  he  had  produced  his  book  Un  voyage  au  tour 
du  Japon, — one  of  the  most  correct  of  all  the  books  which 
had  to  that  time  appeared  on  the  subject  of  which  it  treats. 


302  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

On  the  22nd  June,  H.  I.  M.  S.  Semiramis  brought  300 
Fusiliers  of  the  Infanterie  de  la  Marine,  to  relieve  the 
Chasseurs  d'Afrique,  who  had  already  left  by  H.  I.  M.  S, 
Dupleix,  for  Shanghai,  en  route  for  Mexico. 

The  Tycoon  returned  to  Yedo  by  sea  on  the  23rd  June, 
his  own  ship  being  attended  by  six  others.  His  return 
was  hailed  as  the  harbinger  of  action.  His  Ministers 
had  always  excused  themselves  and  pleaded  for  delay 
until  he  should  once  more  be  settled  in  his  own  capital. 
The  time  now  seemed  to  have  come  ;  and  the  prospects 
of  war  with  Choshiu  became  the  universal  theme  of 
conversation. 

The  commercial  year  which  closed  on  the  31st  June, 
left  a  disappointing  result  as  to  the  amount  of  trade  done 
as  compared  with  the  year  ending  the  same  time  in  the 
preceding  year — it  being  only  15,718  bales  against 
25,446.  The  total  quantity  of  Cotton,  however,  was 
72,134  bales,  against  9,645  the  previous  year ;  and  of 
Tea  5,318,123  Ibs.  against  5,796,388  Ibs.  in  the  season 
ending  June  1863. 

Still,  except  for  the  cloud  overhanging  the  Inland  Sea 
business,  foreigners  recognised  the  decided  improvement 
in  relations  that  had  taken  place ;  and  there  was  no 
reason  to  apprehend  any  immediate  trouble,  if  things 
were  allowed  to  take  their  course.  Everything  looked 
cheerful.  The  presence  of  the  military,  added  to  that  of 
the  Navy,  imparted  wonderful  life  to  the  place.  Picnics 
were  got  up  ;  small  sporting  events  ashore  and  afloat 
were  set  on  foot ;  excursions  within  the  ten  ri  radius 
were  taken  with  scarcely  a  thought  of  danger,  (although  all 
were  careful  to  carry  their  revolvers  in  case  of  need)  ; 
and  care  seemed  banished  from  the  place.  All  was  gay  ; 
all  was  hopeful ;  I  wish  I  could  say  all  was  sound.  But 
in  my  next  chapter  I  have  a  tale  to  tell  that  I  would 
willingly  avoid. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

ARRIVAL  OF  H.B.M.'S  XX  REGIMENT. ULTIMATUM  RESPECT- 
ING   SHIMONOSEKI. THE    TYCOON'S    DIFFICULTIES. — PEACE 

DISPATCHES    FROM    EARL    RUSSELL    ARRIVE    TOO    LATE. 

JAPANESE  VISIT  EUROPE  FOR  EDUCATION. — RETURN  OF  ITO 
SHIUNSKE  AND  INOUYE  BUNDA. — BEARERS  OF  A  LETTER  TO 
THE  PRINCE  OF  CHOSHIU  FROM  THE  FOREIGN  MINISTERS. — 
CONVEYED  TO  THEIR  PROVINCE  ON  BOARD  H.M.S.  "  BAROSSA  " 
AND  "CORMORANT." — ILL  SUCCESS. — THE  INEFFECTUAL  APPEAL 
ON  BEHALF  OF  CHOSHIU  TO  THE  MIKADO. — THE  ATTACK  ON  THE 
PALACE. — OWARI  APPOINTED  COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF  TO  PUNISH 
THE  CLAN. — INDIGNATION  AGAINST  CHOSHIU  IN  YEDO. — HIS 
YASHIKIS  BURNT. — SUDDEN  RETURN  OF  THE  ENVOYS. — THEIR 
AGREEMENT  WITH  FRANCE  NOT  RATIFIED. — DEPARTURE  OF 
EXPEDITION  AGAINST  SHIMONOSEKI.— FRIENDLY  INTERCOURSE 
BETWEEN  THE  FOREIGN  AND  "NATIVE  SOLDIERS. — THE  BATTLE 
OF  SHIMONOSEKI. — DETAILS. — PEACE  CONCLUDED. — THE  IN- 
DEMNITY.— ALTERNATIVES  PROPOSED  BY  FOREIGNERS  AND 
REJECTED  BY  THE  JAPANESE  GOVERNMENT. — SIR  R.  ALCOCK 
ORDERED  HOME  TO  EXPLAIN  MATTERS  TO  THE  FOREIGN  OFFICE. 

IN  July  18G4,  the  remainder  of  H.  M.  XXtb  Regiment 
under  the  command  of  Lt.  Col.  H.  R.  BROWNE,  arrived 
from  Hongkong,  and  at  once  took  possession  of  the  new 
barracks  built  for  them  on  the  British  Consular  Reserve 
on  the  Bluff, 


804  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

The  departure  of  the  forces  for  the  demolition  of  the 
Shimonoseki  forts,  and  the  opening  of  the  Inland  Sea  was 
freely  spoken  of,  and  the  foreign  ministers  sent  an 
ultimatum  to  the  Yedo  Government,  that  if,  within  twenty 
days,  no  satisfactory  steps  were  taken,  the  fleet  would  be 
set  in  motion.'  The  Japanese  with  whom  foreigners 
came  in  contact  hnd,  in  common  with  all  their  country- 
men, an  overweening  opinion  of  the  prowess  of  Choshiu. 
They  believed  that  any  force  that  could  be  sent  against 
the  clan  would  meet  with  certain  destruction.  They 
were  often  too  polite  to  say  so  in  plain  terms  ;  but  they 
shook  their  heads  ominously;  and  it  may  well  be 
supposed  their  sympathies  were  with  their  own  country- 
man. 

The  Tycoon  at  this  juncture  was  in  a  peculiarly  trying 
position.  All  his  Ministers  were  in  the  sulks,  and  under 
the  plea  of  illness  absented  themselves  from  their  duties  : 
so  that  practically  he  might  be  said  to  'be  without  a 
Ministry.  And  worse  than  this,  he  narrowly  escaped  an 
attempt  to  poison  him.  The  quiet,  therefore,  that  had 
prevailed  for  several  months  seemed  about  to  give  place 
to  further  turmoils  of  a  very  serious  character. 

At  this  very  time,  whilst  troops  were  arriving,  and  the 
foreign  ministers  and  naval  and  military  authorities 
were  making  all  kinds  of  preparations  for  a  struggle, 
Earl  EUSSELL  was  dispatching  from  London  to  Sir 
EUTHEEFOED  ALCociv,  instructions,  "not  to  undertake  any 
military  operation  whatever  in  the  interior  of  Japan  "  ; 
and  further,  stating  that  the  Home  Government  "  would 
indeed  regret  the  adoption  of  any  measures  of  hostility 
against  the  Japanese  Government  or  princes,  even  though 
limited  to  naval  operations,  unless  absolutely  required 
by  self-defence."  These  instructions  arrived  too  late  to 
be  acted  upon. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  when  the  country  was 


JAPANESE  GO  TO  EUROPE  FOB  EDUCATION.  805 

closed  against  the  admission  of  foreigners,  a  similar 
prohibition  was  issued  against  Japanese  leaving  it  to 
visit  other  realms.  This  prohibition  was  so  rigidly 
acted  upon,  that  even  sailors  who  had  been  driven  away 
by  adverse  winds,  and  had  been  picked  up  at  sea  by 
foreign  vessels  and  brought  back  to  Japan,  were  very 
hardly  dealt  with.  Some  were  not  allowed  to  land,  and 
others  were  severely  punished. 

But  about  the  end  of  1863  certain  young  samurai 
belonging  to  various  clans,  obtained  permission  from 
their  chiefs  and,  I  suppose,  the  Government,  to 
go  to  Europe  for  the  purpose  of  education.  Of 
these  some  had  actually  entered  the  service  of  for- 
eigners, accepting  even  menial  employment,  with  the 
view  of  picking  up  instruction  and  information  that  they 
felt  their  countrymen  were  deficient  in.  Two  Choshiu 
men  ITO  SHITJNSKE  and  INOUYE  BUNDA,  were  of  the 
number.  These  two  young  men,  on  arriving  in  England 
and  seeing  the  material  prosperity  and  immense  re- 
sources of  the  country,  left  their  friends  and  returned 
to  Japan,  it  was  said,  with  the  intention  of  informing  their 
clan  of  the  futility  of  opposing  such  power;  and  arrived  in 
Yokohama  just  as  the  fleet  was  waiting  for  final  orders 
for  its  departure. 

This  fact  being  represented  to  the  foreign  ministers, 
it  was  resolved,  with  the  consent  of  the  Government,  to 
send  two  English  men-of-war  with  these  gentlemen  to 
Shimonoseki  with  letters  to  the  Prince  of  Nagato  from 
the  foreign  ministers,  in  hopes  that  their  representations 
might  be  effectual  in  inducing  the  clan  to  act  more 
prudently,  and  to  cease  its  inimical  proceedings  towards 
vessels  passing  the  Straits.  On  the  21st  July,  accordingly, 
H.  B.  M.  Ss.  Barossa  and  Cormorant  were  dispatched, 
having  on  board,  besides  the  two  native  gentlemen  alluded 
to,  Messrs.  ENSLIE  and  SATOW,  of  H.  M.  Civil  service. 

VOL.    I  LL 


806  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

It  was  asserted  by  some  that  the  object  of  the  ships 
was  to  see  if  the  forts  would  fire  into  them ;  but  it  was 
not  so.  The  two  messengers  were  landed  out  of  reach 
of  the  guns ;  and,  assuming  the  garb  of  doctors,  made 
their  way  to  Yamaguchi,  where  the  prince  of  Nagato 
and  his  son  were  residing.  Their  reception  was  not 
unkindly ;  but  the  answer  they  had  to  take  back  was 
unfavourable.  The  consequence  was  that  the  ships 
returned  to  Yokohama,  and  the  warlike  excitement 
increased. 

The  month  of  August  was  one  of  great  activity  on  the 
part  of  Choshiu.  A  strong  and  fervent  appeal  was  made 
to  the  Mikado,  to  acknowledge  the  loyalty  of  the  clan, 
who,  it  was  asserted,  had  only  acted  in  obedience  to  the 
orders  they  received;  and,  to  reverse  the  decision  by 
which  the  prince  and  his  son  were  forbidden  to  enter 
Kioto.  The  appeal  was  •  unsuccessful,  and  then  it  was 
that  the  attempt  was  made  to  obtain  by  force  of  arms 
what  could  not  be  acquired  by  gentler  means.  All  the 
daimios  around  the  Court,  including  HITOTSUBASHI, 
AIDZU,  ECHIZEN,  SATSUMA,  set  themselves  in  array 
against  them  ;  and  such  was  the  consternation  in  Kioto 
that  there  was  a  general  exodus  of  the  population. 

The  Choshiu  men  now  made  the  attack  on  the 
palace,  already  alluded  to  ;  and,  after  very  determined 
fighting,  were  defeated.  Other  bands  belonging  to  the 
clan  endeavoured  from  various  centres  to  force  their 
way  to  the  capital,  but  in  each  case  unsuccessfully. 
These  operations  brought  on  a  crisis.  It  was  determined 
to  chastise  the  clan,  and  bring  it  back  to  its  alle- 
giance. The  Prince  of  Owari — one  of  the  Gosanke — was 
appointed  Commander-in-chief ;  the  troops  of  Satsuma 
and  twenty  other  clans  being  ordered  to  place  themselves 
under  his  command.  It  was  also  decided  that  the 
Tycoon  should  himself  take  the  field,  and  his  hatamotos 


THE  RETURN  OF  THE  MISSION.  307 

and  their  retainers  were  ordered  to  hold  themselves  in 
readiness. 

In  Yedo,  the  intelligence  of  the  violence  committed  at 
Kioto  aroused  intense  indignation  against  the  clan.  It 
possessed  three  yashikis  within  the  0-shiro  (castle) 
precincts,  besides  two  in  the  suburbs.  These  were 
immediately  invested  by  the  Shogun's  forces.  A  pro- 
clamation was  issued  that  Choshiu  being  recusant 
against  the  established  Government,  and  his  adherents 
having  caused  disturbances  in  Kioto,  steps  were  to  be 
taken  to  bring  him  to  order,  unless  guarantees  were 
given  for  his  future  loyalty. 

In  the  midst  of  all  these  stirring  events,  the  Envoys 
who  had  gone  to  Europe  suddenly  returned.  They  had 
gone  no  further  than  Paris,  when,  utterly  failing  in  the 
objects  of  their  mission,  they  decided  to  visit  no  other 
country.  They  had  made  an  agreement,  however, 
subject  to  the  Shogun's  ratification,  that  at  the  end  of 
three  months  the  Inland  Sea  should  be  free ;  and  should 
be  kept  so,  if  necessary,  by  force  acting  in  concert  with 
the  French  Naval  Commander.  An  indemnity  also  was 
to  be  paid  to  France  of  140,000  dollars,  of  which  100,000 
were  to  be  paid  by  the  Government,  and  40,000  by 
Choshiu. 

The  fleet  was  to  have  sailed  on  the  very  day  following 
that  of  the  return  of  the  mission,  but  was  now  ordered 
to  wait  until  the  decision  of  the  Shogun's  Gnvernment 
was  known.  It  was  to  the  effect  that  the  ratification  was 
impossible  ;  for  the  provisions  could  not  be  carried  out. 
The  Envoys  were  imprisoned  and  not  released  for  many 
months. 

Before  the  fleet  sailed  a  very  earnest  request  was  sent 
by  the  Shogun's  Government  to  the  allied  Ministers  that 
they  should  not  as  yet  take  any  hostile  steps ;  explaining 
the  great  difficulties  which  beset  the  Government,  but 


70TJNQ  JAPAN. 


trusting  that  "the  foreign  representatives  would  rely 
upon  the  action  of  the  Tycoon's  Government,  and  take 
no  steps  themselves  to  force  the  passage."  All  this  was 
unheeded.  On  the  28th  August  the  expedition  started. 
I  well  remember  the  circumstances  attending  the  embar- 
kation of  the  Royal  Marines.  They  were  to  be  conveyed 
to  Shimonoseki  on  board  of  H.  M.  S.  Conqueror,  which 
had  brought  them  to  Japan.  The  XXth  regiment  was 
drawn  up  on  the  French  or  western  hatoba,  and  an  im- 
mense crowd  of  foreigners  and  natives  assembled  to  see 
them  off.  Many  "thought  that  the  force  about  to  be 
dispatched  was  altogether  too  small ;  and  a  feeling  of 
sadness  was  expressed  as  Colonel  BROWNE  the  com- 
mandant, who  remained  behind,  shook  the  hand  of 
Colonel  SUTHER  and  wished  him  a  safe  and  speedy 
return.  The  "Minden  boys"  (XXth)  seemed  to  envy 
the  "jollies  "  their  luck  in  being  selected  for  active  service ; 
but  all  imagined  that  they  had  a  very  much  harder  task 
before  them  than  proved  to  be  the  case. 

There  was  some  apprehension  felt  that  the  departure 
of  the  fleet  would  encourage  the  ronins  to  make  a  descent 
upon  the  settlement :  but  really  there  was  small  chance 
of  it ;  for  besides  the  ships  that  were  left,  the  French 
garrison  consisted  of  300  men ;  whilst  the  English  had 
the  whole  of  2nd  batt.  of  the  XXth  regiment,  167  men 
of  H.  M.'s  67th  regiment,  263  men  of  the  Beloochees, 
about  100  of  the  Eoyal  Artillery  and  Engineers,  besides 
the  Legation  guard.  There  would  therefore  have  been 
very  little  chance  for  any  such  force  as  the  ronins  were 
likely  to  bring.  In  Yedo  they  continued  to  be  very 
troublesome. 

From  the  first  the  "  red  regiments,"  as  the  English 
soldiers  were  called  by  the  Japanese,  commanded  a  good 
deal  of  curiosity.  The  amount  of  drilling  that  went  on 
all  clay  long  by  ono  corps  or  another — ^soldiers  or  sailors 


ANOTHER  STEAMER  FIRED  UPON.  809 

— was  such  as  to  astonish  the  natives ;  whilst  every  few 
days  there  were  inspections  or  reviews,  or  long  marches, 
in  heavy  marching  order,  for  exercise  as  well  as  discipline. 
A  little  later,  such  was  the  friendliness  that  sprung  up 
among  the  Japanese  troops  stationed  at  Noge — about  a 
mile  from  the  foreign  settlement — and  our  men,  that  the 
latter  joined  in  these  marches — and  on  one  or  two 
occasions  in  sham  fights  in  the  vallies  around.  By  these 
means  the  men  were  kept  in  splendid  health  and  discip- 
line ;  in  good  trim  for  whatever  call  might  be  made  upon 
them.  Kifle  matches  were  got  up  on  the  beach  under 
the  Bluff ;  and  athletic  sports  became  an  institution.  In 
these  last  the  Beloochees  particularly  excelled. 

But  whilst  foreigners  were  thus  rejoicing  in  their 
strength  and  security,  the  Government  continued  to  be 
full  of  anxiety  and  trouble.  The  daimios  MATSUDAIRA 
YAHATO-NO-KAMI  and  ITAKURA  SUWO-NO-KAMI,  with  many 
smaller  officials,  were  degraded,  because  they  had 
mismanaged  the  affair  of  notifying  foreigners  as  to  the 
Government's  intention  of  closing  the  port  of  Yokohama. 

I  must  now  hasten  to  finish  the  story  of  Shiinonoseki. 
Choshiu  had  given  fresh  offence  during  the  month  of 
August  by  firing  on  an  American  steamer,  at  Hagi,  a 
place  within  his  territories,  where  forts  had  been  erected, 
at  some  distance  from  Shimonoseki.  The  merchant 
steamer  Monitor  had  anchored  there  in  hopes  of  obtaining 
supplies  ;  but  was  soon  convinced  of  the  mistake  she  had 
made.  The  British  Admiral  was  instructed  therefore 
to  take  the  castle  of  Hagi,  but  this  does  not  seem  to 
have  been  attempted. 

On  Sunday  the  4th  September,  the  fleet  assembled  at 
Himoshima,  consisting  of  three  French — the  Semiramis 
with  Admiral  J:IARES  on  boad,  the  Dupleix  and  Tancrede ; 
four  Dutch, — the  Djainbi,  Medusa,  Metulen  Kruis  and 
Amsterdam ;  one  American,  the  Takiang,  a  small  mer- 


810  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

chant  steamer  which  had  been  chartered  for  the  purpose, 
on  board  of  which  Lieut.  Pearson  U.  S.  N.,  50  men  and 
a  Parrot  gun,  had  been  embarked ;  and  nine  British — the 
Euryalus  with  Admiral  RUPEE,  Tartar,  Perseus,  Con- 
queror, Barrosa,  Leopard,  Argus,  Bouncer  and  Coquette. 

At  4  P.M.  on  the  5th  the  signal  to  "  engage  the  enemy  " 
was  hoisted  on  the  Euryalus  and  Semiramis,  and  in  half 
a  minute  the  engagement  became  general,  the  forts 
returning  the  fire  with  immense  spirit.  The  batteries 
ashore  were  eight  in  member ;  the  Chofu ;  the  Eavine  ; 
the  Maita-mura  (three) ;  the  Sato ;  the  Kybune  Point,  and 
the  Stockade.  For  half  an  hour  no  effect  seemed  to  be 
produced  by  the  artillery  from  the  ships ;  but  then 
symptoms  began  to  show  themselves  of  the  work  they 
were  doing.  A  battery  was  destroyed  by  an  explosion 
caused  by  one  of  the  Armstrong  pivot  guns  ;  and  at  4.34 
P.M.,  the  light  squadron  was  directed  to  close  on  the 
batteries.  Half  an  hour  later  the  battery  on  Chofu 
Point  was  silenced,  and  several  of  the  forts  slackened 
their  fire  materially.  At  7  P.M.  the  heavy  squadron 
which  had  been  keeping  up  a  telling  fire  on  the  Maita- 
inura  forts  ceased  for  the  night. 

At  this  time  Captain  KINGSTON  of  the  Perseus  with  his 
second  Lieutenant  Mr.  PITT,  Sub.  Lieut.  FROUDE,  Mr. 
COCHEANE,  gunner,  and  twenty  men,  quickly  joined  by  a 
boats'  crew  from  the  Medusa  under  Mr.  DE  HAET,  landed, 
and,  driving  the  gunners  from  one  of  the  forts,  succeeded 
in  spiking  all  its  guns,  14  in  number,  threw  the  powder 
and  shot  over  the  parapet,  and  laid  a  train  to  the 
magazine  (which,  however,  missed),  under  a  severe  fire 
of  musketry  from  the  paddy-fields  and  bush  in  the 
neighbourhood.  It  was  well  that  this  dashing  feat  was 
accomplished ;  for  the  next  morning  at  10  o'clock  the 
Perseus  got  aground  under  this  very  fort,  and  her  posi- 
tion would  have  been  perilous  indeed,  had  the  guns  been 


BATTLE  OP  SHIMONOSEKI.  311 

available  and  the  men  to  serve  them  intact.  As  it  was 
she  lay  aground  all  day,  and  was  only  relieved  from  her 
awkward  plight  at  11  o'clock  on  the  following  morning. 

On  the  6th  the  action  recommenced.  The  Tartar  and 
Dupleix,  which  were  anchored  under  the  Sato  battery, 
were  wakened  up  at  daylight,  to  a  sense  of  their  situation, 
by  a  vigourous  and  well-directed  salute,  by  which  several 
men  on  both  the  ships  were  killed  and  wounded.  At  7.15 
A.M.  the  marines  landed  from  the  Conqueror,  under  Colonel 
SUTHER  and  Lieut.  Colonels  PENROSE  and  ADAIR.  The 
Euryalus  also  landed  her  small-arms  men  and  marines 
under  Captain  ALEXANDER.  At  8,  all  the  Maita-mura  forts 
were  in  their  hands,  and  the  barracks  in  rear  were  on 
fire.  The  marines  drove  the  enemy  before  them  out  of 
the  batteries  and  spiked  the  guns.  But  the  Choshiu 
men,  though  driven  out,  still  attempted  to  resist,  and 
towards  evening  made  a  spirited  attack  on  the  marines 
with  five  or  six  hundred  men.  In  this  gallant  effort  they 
were  not  successful ;  but  Captain  ALEXANDER  was  wounded 
by  a  bullet  through  his  ankle. 

Working  parties  from  all  the  ships  were  landed  on  the 
8th,  with  guards  of  marines  to  embark  the  guns  from 
the  batteries.  At  first  great  numbers  of  Japanese 
soldiers  had  returned  to  the  batteries,  but  they  speedily 
decamped.  In  the  forts  were  found  a  number  of  Dutch 
books  on  artillery,  several  bows,  an  immense  number 
of  arrows,  many  muskets,  and  a  map  tracing  out  the 
position  of  the  ships  during  the  engagement  up  to  the  last 
moment  before  the  flight  of  the  draiightsnien. 

About  noon,  Choshiu  showed  a  flag  of  truce,  under  the 
protection  of  which  an  emissary — one  of  the  two  gentle- 
men lately  returned  from  Europe,  and  who  had  been 
taken  down  in  the  preliminary  trip  of  the  Barossa — was 
received  on  board  the  Euryalus.  He  had  been  but  a 
short  time  with  the  admiral,  when  a  signal  was  made  to 


812 


YOUNG  JAPAN. 


hoist  flags  of  truce.  Capitulation  was  complete  and 
unreserved.  To  convince  the  Admirals,  however,  that 
the  emissary  had  powers  to  treat,  and  of  the  sincerity  of 
the  Prince,  it  was  deemed  necessary  to  have  a  letter  to 
that  effect  under  his  own  hand.  Two  days  being  neces- 
sary for  this,  it  was  agreed  that  actual,  hostilities  should 
cease,  but  that  the  embarkation  of  the  guns  should  be 
proceeded  with.  It  was  declared  on  the  part  of  Choshin, 
that  he  was  not  to  blame.  He  had  been  only  loyally 
acting  up  to  the  orders  he  had  received — once  from  the 
Bakufu  and  repeatedly  from  the  Mikado. 

The  Admirals  expressed  a  desire  to  see  the  Prince,  and 
settle  everything  personally  with  him  ;  but  this  was  im- 
possible. He  was  living  at  a  distance  from  Shimonoseki, 
in  retirement,  (virtually  a  prisoner),  by  order  of  the 
Court. 

An  interview  with  the  chieftain  being  unattainable,  he 
was  made  acquainted  with  the  terms  demanded  by  the 
Admirals.  These  included  the  promise  never  to  rebuild 
the  forts,  or  otherwise  place  any  hindrance  on  the  free 
passage  of  the  Straits ;  and,  the  payment  of  a  sum  of 
money  as  a  consideration  for  sparing  the  town  of 
Shimonoseki  and  for  the  expenses  of  the  expedition.  The 
amount  of  this  indemnity  was  to  be  settled  by  the 
foreign  representatives  and  the  Government  of  the 
Shogun.  It  was  plainly  stated  to  the  young  Envoy  that 
if  he  did  not  return,  or  if  no  answer  were  received  by  the 
appointed  time,  the  work  of  destruction  would  be  pro- 
ceeded with. 

Punctual  to  the  hour  he  returned,  bearing  the  sign- 
manual  of  the  Prince,  agreeing  to  everything. 

During  his  absence  the  guns  from  all  the  forts,  72  in 
all,  were  placed  on  board  the  various  ships  of  the 
squadron,  the  Japanese  from  the  town  offering  their  aid 
as  if  they  were  glad  too  see  the  last  of  neighbours  that 


THE  CHOSHIC  INDEMNITY.  813 

had  been  the  means  of  bringing  danger  so  near  to  them. 
During  the  operation,  not  a  two-sworded  man  was  to  be 
seen. 

The  amount  of  the  indemnity  decided  upon  by  the 
ministers  was  $3,000,000;  the  payment  of  which  the 
Yedo  Government  undertook,  saying  that  they  would 
collect  it  from  Choshiu. 

The  French  and  English  Governments,  but  particu- 
larly the  latter,  were  desirous  that  instead  of  a  pecuniary 
payment,  the  Japanese  Government  should  open  another 
port ;  or  throw  the  port  of  Hiogo  open  to  foreigners  at 
an  earlier  period  than  that  last  fixed  for  it.  The  Dutch 
and  American  Ministers,  (the  latter  of  whom  claimed 
an  equal  share  in  the  spoil  with  the  others,  contending 
that  the  moral  influences  of  his  cooperation,  and  not  the 
actual  force  he  was  able  to  send,  was  to  be  estimated), 
preferred  receiving  the  actual  money.  All,  however, 
acquiesced  in  the  proposal  of  the  British  Cabinet,  and  the 
opening  of  Shimonoseki  or  some  other  port  was  strenu- 
ously urged  upon  the  Government,  but  as  steadily 
refused.  Had  it  been  agreed  upon  a  great  deal  of  heart- 
burning and  acrimonious  feeling  would  have  been  avoided, 
all  to  the  advantage  of  Japan. 

The  opening  of  Niigata,  of  which  so  much  was 
expected,  has  shown  how  little  foreign  trade  was  to  be 
benefited  from  an  open  port  on  the  west  coast ;  and  the 
experience  of  the  commercial  advantages  to  be  derived 
from  Hiogo  and  even  of  Osaka  itself,  has  proved  how 
comparatively  limited  the  trade  with  any  ports  in  that 
region  would  be.  The  probability  is  that  for  a  while  it 
would  have  been  a  useless  concession ;  for  very  few 
foreigners  would  have  cared  to  settle  there  whilst  the 
troubles  between  the  clan  and  the  Government  continued. 

By  agreeing  therefore  to  this  alternative,  the  Govern- 
ment would  have  got  off  very  easily.  No  money  would 

VOL.  i  MM 


814  YOUN3  JAPAN. 

have  had  to  be  paid ;  and  if  trade  had  arisen,  it  would 
have  benefited  the  country.  As  it  was,  they  were  not 
able  to  pay  the  first  instalment  of  $50,000  until  the 
following  August,  nearly  a  year  after  the  event ;  and 
when  difficulties  prevented  the  punctual  payment  of 
the  later  instalments,  which  the  foreign  powers  were 
always  willing  to  remove  in  the  simple  way  described, 
the  foreign  proposals  were  proudly  rejected,  and  the 
money  was  gradually,  at  very  long  intervals,  paid.  The 
final  proposal  was,  that,  if  the  Mikado  would  ratify  the 
treaties,  consent  to  the  opening  of  Hiogo  and  Osaka  at 
once,  instead  of  eighteen  months  later,  and  to  a  revision 
of  the  tariff  on  a  basis  of  5  per  cent.,  two-thirds  of  the 
indemnity— $2,000,000— should  be  foregone.  But  the 
opening  of  those  ports  one  day  earlier  than  had  been 
agreed  upon  they  would  not  think  of.  And  when  the 
treaty  was  ratified,  and  the  revision  of  the  tariff  agreed 
to,  though  Sir  HARRY  PARKES  pressed  the  third  provision 
on  their  consideration  and  urged  its  acceptance,  it  was 
replied  that  "the  indemnity  they  were  quite  prepared  to 
pay.  It  would  severely  tax  their  resources,  but  they 
decidedly  preferred  to  meet  this  obligation,  rather  than 
consent  at  once  to  the  opening  of  Hiogo  and  Osaka." 

The  last  payment  was  not  made  until  the  middle  of 
1874,  just  ten  years  after  the  battle  of  Shimonoseki. 

As  a  matter  of  course  the  various  Governments  approved 
the  action  of  their  Ministers  after  the  signal  success  of 
the  allied  squadron ;  but  Sir  BUTKERFORD  ALCOCK,  having 
been  ordered  home  to  give  personal  information  as  to  the 
actual  state  of  affairs  in  Japan,  now  made  preparations 
for  his  departure. 


CHAPTEE  XXVII. 

THE  CHANGES  THAT  HAVE  HAPPENED  SINCE  THE  BATTLE 
OF  SHIMONOSEKI. — EFFECTS  OF  THE  BATTLES  OF  KAGOSHIMA 
AND  SHIMONOSEKI  ON  THE  CLANS  OF  SATSUMA  AND  CHOSHIU. — 
BITTERNESS  OF  CHOSHIU  AGAINST  THE  YEDO  GOVERNMENT. — 

THE  BRAVERY  AND  PATRIOTISM  OF  THE  CLAN. ADOPTION  BY 

SATSUMA  AND  CHOSHIU  OF  FOREIGN  ARMS. — DESIRE  OF  THE 
TYCOON  TO  DO  THE  SAME,  BUT  UNWILLINGNESS  OF  MANY  OF  HIS 
RETAINERS  TO  USE  THEM. — PRESENT  PREJUDICE  OF  FIGHTING 

MEN  IN  FAVOUR  OF  THE  SWORD. THE  SWORD  AND  THE  RULE 

THAT  IT  SHOULD  NOT  BE  UNSHEATHED  EXCEPT  TO  SHED 
BLOOD. — A  PERSONAL  REMINISCENCE. — ONE  MORE  PROOF  OF 
THE  DEADLY  CHARACTER  OF  THE  SWORD. — EXCURSIONS  OF 
FOREIGNERS. 

IT  is  difficult  to  realise  that  all  I  have  been  hitherto 
recording  happened  so  few  years  ago.  Is  it  possible 
that  only  fifteen  years  have  elapsed  since  the  battle  of 
Shimonoseki  ?  Where  are  all  those  who  took  part  in  it  ? 
Where  those  who  were  the  principals  in  all  the  negotia- 
tions preceding  it  ?  Sir  RUTHERFORD  ALCOCK  has  since 
left  his  mark  as  British  Minister  at  Peking,  and,  having 
retired,  is  now  constantly  before  the  public  in  connection 


816  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

with  some  learned  society,  or  some  scheme  for  the 
advantage  of  China  or  Japan.  His  colleagues  of  1864 
have  also  retired  into  private  life,  and  are  no  longer 
heard  of.  But  how  is  it  with  the  Shogun  ? 

The  Gorojiu  ? 

The  Prince  of  Nagato  and  his  son  ? 

The  seven  Kuge  ? 

The  young  men  who  went  to  Scotland  for  their 
education  ? 

And  how  is  it  with  the  Mikado  ? 

Where  are  the  ronins  ? 

Where  the  guards  who  were  employed  to  keep  them  in 
check  ? 

Where  are  the  daimios  ? 

The  hataniotos  ? 

The  two-sworded  retainers  of  whom  we  were  wont  to 
speak  as  the  dangerous  classes  ? 

Where  is  the  Bakufu,  or  Government  of  the  Shogun  ? 

Where  the  Dairi — the  Court  of  the  Mikado  ? 

There  is  no  Shogun. 

There  is  no  Gorojiu. 

The  old  Prince  of  Nagato  is  probably  dead,  for  he  is 
never  heard  of.  His  son  lives  as  a  noble  in  a  pleasant 
foreign-built  house  in  the  suburb  of  Shinagawa. 

Of  the  seven  Kuges,  one,  SANJO  SANEYOSHI,  is  Daijo 
Daijin,  or  Prime  Minister  of  Japan  ;  and  has  been  so 
since  the  year  1868. 

Every  one  of  the  youths  who  went  to  Scotland  occupies 
now  some  important  position  in  the  state.  Of  the  two 
who  returned  to  warn  their  chief — Ixo  is  the  Minister 
or  Secretary  of  State  for  Home  Affairs  ;  INOUYE  BUNDA  is 
Minister  for  Foreign  Affairs. 

The  Mikado  no  longer  simply  reigns — He  governs  ! 

The  ronins  are  no  more — they  and  the  guards  absorbed 
either  in  the  ranks  of  commerce,  or  other  industrial 


THE  CHANGES  OF  FIFTEEN  YEARS.  317 

workers.  Very  few  now  either  carry  a  sword  or  follow  a 
military  career. 

The  daimios  are  private  gentlemen,  with  the  rank  of 
noblemen. 

The  hatamotos  (upholders  of  the  flag)  no  longer 
possess  status  or  privileges.  They  are  but  as  influence 
or  ability  may  place  them. 

The  two-sworded  men  have  long  lain  their  murderous 
weapons  aside,  and  '  dangerous  classes  '  are  only  spoken 
of  as  a  memory  of  the  past. 

The  Bakufu  is  as  if  it  had  never  been  ;  and  the  Dairi 
with  its  curiously  mysterious  inner  life  at  Kioto  has 
given  place  to  a  Court  in  Tokio,  whose  activity  and 
personal  influence  (especially  that  of  the  Empress)  shed 
blessings  over  all  the  land. 

Such  changes  have  taken  place  within  the  fifteen 
years  of  which  I  have  yet  to  treat.  How  these  changes 
have  been  effected  is  now  my  principal  theme. 

The  effect  of  the  battle  of  Kagoshima  I  have  already 
described.  It  led  to  a  distinctly  improved  appreciation 
of  foreigners  by  the  Satsuma  clan,  who  turned  their 
attention  at  once  to  the  best  means  of  obtaining  foreign 
appliances  both  of  war  and  commerce. 

On  Choshiu,  the  effect  of  the  battle  of  Shirnonoseki 
was  only  seen  by  foreigners,  in  the  material  fact,  that  the 
clan  was  rendered  powerless  for  further  aggression 
against  ships  entering  the  Inland  Sea.x  Beyond  that 
fact,  there  was  nothing  that  brought  the  clan  and 
foreigners  within  notice  of  each  other :  but,  unhappily  for 
the  clan,  being  at  logger-heads  with  the  Government,  its 
troubles  did  not  close  with  the  departure  of  the  foreign 
squadron. 

The  bitter  feeling  entertained  by  all  the  clansmen 
against  the  Government  was  intensified  a  hundred-fold 
by  the  events  I  have  been  recording  ;  and  severe  as  the 


818  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

lesson  was  that  they  had  received  from  foreigners,  they 
were  determined  to  fight  a  entrance  whatever  troops  of 
their  own  countrymen  were  sent  against  them.  Brave 
fellows !  It  is  impossible  not  to  sympathise  with  such 
warriors,  malyre  all  their  old  opposition  to  us.  Unlike 
other  clans  I  could  name,  they  were  never  mere  swash- 
bucklers. In  Yedo  the  people  all  liked  Choshiu  men  as 
much  as  they  dreaded  the  samurai  of  Satsurna.  They 
fought  openly  and  nobly  in  support  of  their  patriotic 
convictions. 

When  the  allied  squadron  set  forth  for  Shimonoseki, 
all  the  men  in  it,  and  every  man,  civil  or  military,  left  be- 
hind, felt  that  the  foe  about  to  be  encountered  was  worthy 
of  their  steel.  And  though  the  victory  was  more  easy 
than  had  been  anticipated,  this  fact  has  never  been 
disputed :: — that,  to  the  present  day  the  Choshiu  clan  has 
maintained  its  right  to  be  classed  with  the  bravest  and 
noblest  in  Japan. 

One  circumstance  that  always  appears  to  me  worthy 
of  notice  with  regard  to  Satsurna  and  Choshiu,  is,  that 
both  of  them  practically  acknowledged  the  superiority  of 
foreign  appliances  in  war,  by  obtaining  rifles  and  am- 
munition, and  largely  arming  their  men  with  them, 
adopting,  at  the  same  time,  as  far  as  they  could,  foreign 
drill  and  discipline.  The  Shogun  was  desirous  of 
doing  the  same ;  and  some  regiments  that  occupied 
barracks  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Yokohama,  were  very 
creditably  instructed.  But  in  the  fight  with  Choshiu 
that  was  about  to  take  place,  many  of  the  samurai  to 
whom  rifles  'were  offered,  refused  to  use  them,  or  to 
undergo  the  new  drill,  preferring  to  trust  to  the  old  bows 
and  arrows,  the  trusty  sword,  and  the  tactics  of  Old 
Japan. 

And  even  now  the  true  Japanese  warrior  clings  to  his 
sword.  In  the  recent  Satsmna  rebellion,  in  some  of  the 


THE  UNSHEATHED  SWORD.  819 

fights  it  was  found  that  the  imperialists  who  were 
wounded  with  sword-cuts  were  nearly  as  numerous  as 
those  who  received  bullet  wounds. 

It  used  to  be  a  prevailing  notion  that  no  samurai 
might  unsheath  his  sword  except  to  shed  blood.  This  is 
an  exaggeration.  Doubtless  it  was  well,  that  among  a 
class  so  fiery  and  so  regardless  of  life  as  the  samurai 
were,  there  should  be  some  kind  of  restraint  on  the 
too  impulsive  beings;  but  the  laws  of  IYEYAS,  made 
expressly  for  the  guidance  of  the  samurai,  have  no  sue  h 
provision.  The  great  TOXUGAWA  chief  very  clearly 
defined  the  duty  of  every  samurai  to  uphold  the  honour 
of  his  class ;  but  he  did  not  instruct  them  to  become 
butchers. 

Shortly  after  my  arrival  in  Japan,  I  remember  meeting 
in  a  friend's  house,  a  yakunin  who  had  come  upon  some 
business  for  his  prince ;  and  observing  that  he  had  taken 
his  sword  from  his  belt,  and  placed  it  on  the  ground  by 
the  side  of  his  chair,  curiosity  induced  me  to  ask  to  be 
allowed  to  look  at  it.  My  friend,  no  doubt  in  mere 
cajolery,  told  me  to  leave  it  alone,  as  it  was  a  rule  with 
Japanese  never  to  allow  the  sword  to  be  unsheathed 
without  shedding  blood. 

The  yakunin,  seeing  that  I  hesitated  to  touch  the 
weapon,  on  hearing  this,  kindly  took  it  up,  unsheathed  it, 
and  handed  it  to  me  to  look  at,  pointing  out  with  pride 
that  it  was  a  remarkably  fine  blade  ;  and  then  added  in 
fair  English  : — "  Mr.  pays  me  a  poor  compli- 
ment when  he  tells  his  stranger  friend  that  the  sword 
I  consented  to  his  examining  could  not  be  returned  to  its 
sheath  unless  dimmed  by  blood." 

After  a  little  time,  when  the  business  on  which  he  had 
come  was  concluded,  he  turned  to  me  again  and  said,  as 
he  pointed  to  numerous  samples  of  rifles  and  ammuni- 
tion and  brought  his  hand  down  on  a  revolver  case— 


820  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

"  You  see  I  have  more  confidence  in  Englishmen  than 
they  have  in  me.  I  come  into  a  room  full  of  destructive 
weapons  without  suspicion.  And,  as  he  was  about  leav- 
ing he  seemed  to  be  unable  to  get  the  remark  out  of  his 

head.  "  Mr  -  and  I  understand  each  other ; "  he 

remarked.  "  I  know  he  only  said  that  in  fun  :  but  some 
Japanese  would  not  understand  him,  and  would  think  it 
cowardice."  He  again  waved  his  hand  round  to  the 
specimens  of  fire-arms  and  said  "  So  many  !  "  and  then 
touching  his  sword-hilt,  his  last  word  as  he  joined  three 
or  four  attendants  who  had  been  waiting  for  him  out- 
side, was — "  One  !" 

This  occured  in  Nagasaki,  shortly  after  the  battle  of 
Kagoshima,  and  the  man  was  an  officer  of  Satsuma. 

But  although  he  might  thus  speak  of  the  foreign 
weapons  outnumbering  the  single  sword  just  restored  to 
his  girdle,  its  deadly  character  was  not  one  whit  inferior 
to  them.  Of  this  one  more  sad  proof  was  given  before  the 
close  of  the  year. 

The  excursions  of  foreigners  were  usually  confined  to 
three  or  four  special  routes :  viz.,  in  one  direction  to  the 
temple  of  Dai-Shi-sama  at  Kawasaki,  to  reach  which  the 
Tokaido  was  traversed  for  about  eight  miles ;  and  in  the 
opposite  direction  to  the  caves  of  Totsuka,  and  the 
temples  at  Fujisawa  dedicated  to  Ugio  Shonin — both  on 
the  Tokaido ;  besides  the  most  frequented  of  all — 
by  Kanasawa  to  Kamakura,  the  ancient  governmental 
capital  of  the  empire,  to  DAIBUTSZU  the  great  bronze  image 
of  BUDDHA,  which  all  foreigners  made  it  a  principal  object 
to  see ;  and  to  Yenoshima,  a  kind  of  holy  isle  about  five 
miles  distant  from  Kamakura. 

To  these  three  latter  places  there  were  several  routes. 
One  was  by  the  Tokaido  and  by  branch  roads  from 
Totsuka  and  Fujisawa  to  Yenoshima  and  Kamakura  ;  but 
the  most  favourite  was  by  bridle-paths  over  the  hills  to 


EXCURSIONS.  821 

Kanasawa,  some  of  the  views  from  which  were  surpass- 
ingly beautiful. 

The  journeys  were  most  commonly  made  on  horse- 
back, as  most  of  the  residents  had  ponies  of  their  own, 
and  there  were  plenty  of  livery-stables  from  whence 
suitable  animals  could  be  hired  by  visitors.  As  yet, 
with  the  exception  of  the  Tokaido,  there  was  no  road  lit 
for  carriage  traffic,  and  no  wheeled  vehicles  had  been  in- 
troduced. The  only  alternatives  to  those  who  did  not 
like  riding,  were  the  ordinary  bamboo  cango,  (a  very 
uncomfortable  kind  of  conveyance),  or  walking. 

In  addition  to  the  naval  and  military  officers,  who,  as 
new  comers,  were  naturally  as  curious  with  regard  to  the 
country  and  people  as  others  had  been,  there  were 
constantly  visitors  from  Shanghai  and  Hongkong. 
Excursions  were  very  numerous ;  for  all  the  places 
mentioned  possessed  features  of  interest ;  history  and 
beauty  of  scenery  combining  to  render  them  attractive. 

Kamakura,  especially,  has  a  place  in  Japanese  history 
which  most  foreigners  know  as  a  general  fact.  As, 
however,  it  was  founded  by  YOEITOMO,  whom  I  have  more 
than  once  spoken  of  as  the  originator  of  the  dual  system 
of  government,  I  will  give  in  my  next  chapter,  some 
particulars  of  the  city  and  its  founder,  before  passing  on. 


VOL.   I  NN 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

A  BRIEF  ACCOUNT  OF  YORITOMO,  THE  FOUNDER  OF  WHAT  IS 
CALLED  SHOGUN-KE,  AND  ALSO  OF  THE  CITY  OF  KAMAKURA, 
WHERE  HE  APPEARS  TO  HAVE  REIGNED  AS  SHOGUN  FOR  TWENTY 
YEARS. 

KAMAKURA. — DESCRIPTION  AND  HISTORY. — YORITOMO  ITS 
FOUNDER. — YORITOMO'g  DESCENDANTS  HOJO  YOSHITOKI. — RE- 
CAPITULATION OF  THE  FOREGOING. — YORITOMO's  SUCCESSORS, 
AND  END  OF  THE  DYNASTY. — KAMAKURA  NO  LONGER  THE 
GOVERNMENTAL  CAPITAL. 

[The  following  account  was  written  for  me,  by  Mr. 
HECO,  a  native  of  Japan,  bat  an  American  citizen,  in  the 
year  1865.] 

YORITOMO  was  the  son  of  YOSHITOMO  and  his  wife  TOKIWA 
GOZEN.  He  had  two  younger  brothers,  NORIYORI  and 
YOSHITSUNE. 

In  the  era  of  Heiji  the  first,  or  ahont  712  years  ago, 
YOSHITOMO  (the  father  of  YORITOMO),  and  a  daimio  named 
KIYOMORI,  fought  against  each  other.  After  years  of 
discord  YORITOMO  was  ordered  by  his  father  to  take 
command  of  his  army  and  to  levy  war  against  his  enemy ; 
at  the  same  time  he  received  a  family  sword  called 
"  Hige-kiri-Maru,"  and  also  an  ancient  suit  of  armour. 


YOEITOMO  BOUNDS  KAMAKURA.  323 

With  these  YOEITOMO  went  forth  to  battle,  but  was  un- 
fortunately defeated.  Soon  after  he  was  captured  by  his 
enemy,  MUNEKIYO,  and  exiled  to  Cape  Idzu.  This 
occurred  in  the  era  An-gin  the  first,  or  about  700  years 
ago,  when  he  was  only  fourteen  years  old.  In  this 
strange  country,  he  found  a  friend  in  a  dairnio  called 
HOJIO  TOKIMASA,  who  adopted  him  as  his  son,  and  sub- 
sequently gave  him  his  daughter  in  marriage.  He  had 
not  long  been  married,  when  he  removed  to  Kamakura, 
which  had  become  his  property  in  the  following  manner. 

It  was  first  settled  by  his  ancestor  HATCHIMAN  TARO, 
YOSHI-IYE,  who,  having  received  an  order  from  the  Mikado 
to  go  to  Oshiu  and  subdue  the  rebellious  princes  ABENO, 
MUNETO  and  SADATO,  on  his  way  thither  he  stoppejt  at 
Kamakura,  and  built  a  small  temple  and  worshipped 
there.  Thenceforward  the  place  became  known  as  the 
property  of  GENRE  or  house  of  GENJI, — that  to  which 
YORITOMO  belonged. 

YORITOMO'S  first  act  was  to  remove  the  temple  of 
Hachiman-gu  from  Uiga-hama  to  Tsuruga-oka — its 
present  site.  Having  accomplished  this,  he  began  to 
build  palaces  and  official  residences,  and  quickly  gave  the 
place  the  appearance  of  a  city.  In  those  days  the  Japa- 
nese nobles  seem  to  have  been  quite  as  prolific  in 
rebellious  lords,  as  any  portion  of  Europe  in  the  middle 
ages.  Ten  years  later,  we  find  YORITOMO  ordering  his  two 
brothers  named  above,  to  go  against  the  prince  Kiso 
YOSHINAKA,  who  had  rebelled  against  the  Government  of 
the  Mikado  at  Miyako,  and  to  subdue  him.  Having 
successfully  effected  their  object,  by  subjugating  the 
prince,  they  went  further  and  made  war  with  the  house 
of  HEIKE  (their  fathers  enemy,  KIYOMORI)  at  Ichi-no-tani 
near  Hiogo,  and  drove  their  enemy  from  the  castle  and 
territory. 

KIYOMORI  and  his  followers  escaped  westward  through 


824  YOUNG   JAPAN. 

the  Inland  Sea,  and  occupied  the  Island  of  Yashima  and 
the  northern  edge  of  Shikoku.  To  these  places  YOSHITSUNK 
and  NORIYORI  followed,  and  in  the  first  month  of  the  era 
Bunji  the  first  (ahout  690  years  ago)  NOIUYOKI  crossed  to 
Shikoku  from  Nagato  and  landed  his  forces,  whilst  YOSHI- 
TSUNE  landed  with  his  army  at  Sanuki  in  the  second 
month.  A  naval  engagement  ensued  between  the  contend- 
ing hosts.  A  month  later  and  KIYOMORI  was  completely 
repulsed ;  Yashima  Castle  was  taken ;  and  from  that  period 
YbiirroMo,  the  Shogun,  began  to  rule  the  empire  of  Japan, 
as  military  chief,  and  head  of  all  Government  affairs,  yet 
acknowledging  the  supremacy  of  the  Mikado. 

YOSHITSUNE,  returning  to  Kamakura,  was  not  well 
received  by  YORITOMO.  In  fact,  on  his  arriving  at  the 
outer  gate  of  the  city,  he  was  not  admitted.  For  certain 
slanderous  reports  had  come  to  the  ears  of  the  Shogun, 
and  representations  made  to  the  effect  that  YOSHITSUNE 
was  working  secretly  for  his  own  aggrandisement,  and 
had  in  view  the  dethroning  of  his  brother  and  reigning  in 
his  place.  Not  finding  the  cordial  reception  he  had 
expected,  and  being  refused  entrance  into  the  city,  he 
went  to  Oshiu,  and  died  at  Koromogawa.  Some  say,  he 
crossed  to  the  Island  of  Yezo  where  he  was  deified  by  the 
people  under  the  title  "  Gikei  Dai-miyo-jin."  A  few  years 
^ater  YORITOMO  ordered  his  brother  NORIYORI  to  leave 
Kamakura,  and  repair  to  Cape  Idzu,  and  then  and  there 
to  commit  hara-kiri  in  the  temple  of  Shu-san-ji.  Thus 
the  two  brave  and  noble  brothers  of  YORITOMO  were 
treated  by  him  for  whose  interest  and  glory  they  had 
done  so  much.  Both  were  expelled  and  died  in  a  most 
lamentable  manner.  Seven  years  after  the  death  of  his 
youngest  brother,  678  years  ago,  YORITOMO  himself  died 
at  the  age  of  fifty-three,  leaving  two  sons,  the  eldest  of 
whom  YORI-IYE  succeeded  to  his  father's  throne. 

The  personal  deeds  of  YORITOMO  are  not  dwelt  upon  by 


SUCCESSORS  OF  YOEITOMO.  ,       325 

the  authorities  I  have  had  the  opportunity  of  consult- 
ing, but  his  ctynasty  seems  to  have  been  most  unhappy. 
YOEI-IYE,  soon  after  succeeding  to  his  father's  throne,  fell 
dangerously  ill,  and  retired  from  the  direction  of  public 
affairs  for  a  time,  after  placing  38  provinces  west  of 
Hakone  under  the  charge  of  his  brother  SANETOMO,  and 
28  east  of  Hakone  under  ICHIBATA  KIMI,  his  eldest  son. 
That  same  year  he  died  at  Idzu,  and  the  father.m-law  of 
YORITOMO  went  with  his  son  and  assassinated  ICHIBATA 
KIMI — so  that  the  whole  empire  fell  into  the  hands  of 
YOEI-IYE 's  brother,  SANETOMO.  He  was  thus  the  third  of 
the  dynasty,  and  reigned  17  years.  He  had  several  narrow 
escapes  from  assassination — but  at  length  met  his  death 
through  the  direction  of  none  other  than  the  regent  of  the 
empire — the  brother  of  YORITOMO'S  widow.  On  a  certain 
day  the  Shogun  went,  accompanied  by  all  the  daimios,  to 
visit  the  temple  of  Hatchiman.  The  plot  was  to  be 
carried  out  by  the  instrumentality  of  another.  The 
regent  excused  himself  from  attendance  on  the  pretence 
of  illness  :  for  if  he  were  present,  it  would  be  his  duty  to 
carry  the  sword  of  the  Shogun  and  follow  immediately 
behind ;  and  in  case  any  injury  happened  to  his  master 
he  would  he  held  personally  responsible.  The  plot  was 
well  laid.  The  Shogun's  nephew  was  persuaded  to  kill 
his  uncle  in  revenge  for  the  death  of  his  father  by  the 
Shogun's  hand ;  and  the  regent  HOJO  urged  it  not  only 
as  a  justifiable  act  of  retribution,  but  also,  because,  if 
successful,  he,  being  the  only  heir,  would  of  course  suc- 
ceed to  the  throne.  The  young  man,  Kugiyo,  lent  a 
willing  ear  to  this  advice.  He  went  to  the  temple 
Hatchiman  and  waited  under  a  tree  (the  tree  is  still 
there),  near  the  central  stone  steps  of  the  temple.  Having 
offered  his  prayers,  the  Shogun  was  returning  about  dusk, 
when  he  was  suddenly  attacked  by  Koogiyo,  who  sprung 
up  from  his  hiding  place  and  stabbed  him  with  a  dagger. 


326  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

The  treacherous  regent,  hearing  that  Koogiyo  had  ac- 
complished the  fatal  work,  sent  troops,  as  if  to  avenge 
the  Shogun's  death,  and  killed  his  poor  dupe,  declaring 
that  he  had  rehelled  against  the  person  and  Government 
of  the  Shogun.  Thus  the  race  of  YOKITOMO  was  ex- 
tinguished. It  comprised  but  three  reigns  and  endured 
only  forty  years.  V 

It  is  satisfactory  to  know  that  HOJO  YOSHITOKI,  although 
lie  contrived  to  put  an  end  to  the  legitimate  YOPJTOMO 
dynasty,  did  not  succeed  in  his  design  of  becoming  him- 
self Shogun.  The  other  daimios  would  not  permit  it, 
and  he  found  it  impossible  to  do  so  in  opposition  to 
them.  He  therefore  advised  his  sister  (YORITOMO'S  widow) 
to  send  for  a  successor  to  Kioto.  In  reply  to  this  appli- 
cation, she  received  a  child  for  adoption  in  the  person  of 
a  son  of  Kuge  Kam-Paku  MITCHI-IYE,  named  YOKITSUNE, 
who  was  only  two  years  of  age  at  the  time.  Thereupon 
HOJO  made  the  child  the  head  of  the  Government  of  the 
Shogun,  and  himself  continued  regent  and  for  many 
years  the  actual  ruler  of  Japan. 

I  have  thus  shewn  how  the  legitimate  dynasty  of  the 
Shogun  YORITOMO,  the  founder  of  the  city  of  Kamakura, 
came  to  an  end  in  three  reigns,  comprising  a  period  of 
forty  years :  and  it  was  seen  that  envy,  hatred,  malice 
and  all  uncharitableness  had  played  their  part  from  the 
first.  The  world,  during  Hie  six  thousand  years  of  its 
existence,  has  but  one  general  characteristic  in  this 
respect,  and  all  ages,  all  countries  and  all  peoples, 
civilized  and  uncivilized,  have  borne  witness  to  the  fact. 
YTOEITOMO  himself  appears  to  have  had  greatness  thrust 
upon  him  by  the  achievements  of  his  brothers — but 
when  they  had  successfully  wielded  their  swords  in  his 
service,  he  feared  lest  they  should  snatch  his  high  estate 
from  him,  and  themselves  enjoy  what  their  bravery  had 
secured  for  him.  He  banished  both,  and  they  died  in 


RECAPITULATION.  827 

exile — the  younger  performing  hara-kiri  by  YORITOMO'S 
orders.  The  immediate  successor  was  his  eldest  son — 
YORI-IYE — but  he  through  illness  was  forced  to  divide  the 
rule  between  his  younger  brother  SANETOMO — and  his  son 
ICHIBATA  KIMI  ;  the  latter  was  murdered  by  order  of  his 
great  grandfather  (the  father  of  YORITOMO'S  wife)  who 
thus  hoped  to  clear  the  way  for  his  own  lineal  male  des- 
cendants. In  this  however  he  was  disappointed,  SANE- 
TOMO— the  younger  son  of  YOEITOMO  assumed  the  Sho- 
gunate  over  the  whole  land  and  reigned  seventeen  years. 
Treachery  seems  to  have  been  inherent  in  the  family  ; 
for  the  brother  of  YORITOMO'S  wife  inveigled  SANETOMO'S 
nephew  and  apparent  heir  to  murder  him,  and  then 
caused  his  dupe  to  be  put  to  death — thus  cutting  off  the 
last  lineal  descendant  of  YORITOMO — and  hoping  himself 
to  assume  the  office  of  Shogun.  The  Council  of  daimios 
not  permitting  this,  his  sister,  by  his  advice,  sent  to 
Miako,  whence  the  Mikado  sent  a  child  two  years  old  for 
her  adoption,  who  was  placed  at  the  head  of  the  Govern- 
ment as  Shogun — and  the  traitorous  HOJO  YOSHITOKI 
became  Regent  and  actual  ruler  of  the  country. 

Such  is  a  recapitulation  of  the  history  of  YORITOMO  and 
his  legitimate  male  descendants  as  given  above.  The 
adopted  child  was  named  YORITSUNE.  When  he  arrived 
at  the  age  of  13 — the  Regent  HOJO  made  him  marry  the 
daughter  of  YORI-IYE  the  son  and  successor  of  YORITOMO. 
The  lady  had  reached  the  advanced  age  of  33.  This 
remarkable  match  was  made  by  HOJO  only  to  blind  the 
eyes  of  others,  and  induce  the  world  to  believe  that  he 
was  no  enemy,  but  on  the  contrary,  a  fast  friend  and 
faithful  servant  of  the  dynasty.  He  managed,  however,  to 
keep  the  reins  of  government  in  his  hands  during  the 
whole  reign  of  YORITSUNE,  and  on  the  Shogun  reaching 
the  age  of  20 — made  him  retire  to  Kioto,  where  he  died 
before  he  had  reached  his  fortieth  year.  The  Regent 


828  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

applied  again  to  Kioto  for  a  successor,  and  a  youth  of  10 
years  old  called  YORITSUGU  was  sent,  who  died  when 
only  18,  at  the  Mikado's  metropolis. 

For  the  third  time,  the  Mikado  was  appealed  to,  and 
a  successor  was  found  in  the  person  of  a  son  of  the 
Mikado  named  MUNETAKA  SHINNO.  He  was  still  so  young 
that  HOJO  continued  to  hold  the  office  and  exercise  the 
functions  of  Eegent.  (It  was  early  in  this  Shogunate, 
that  the  law  was  enacted  that  no  more  than  five  Chinese 
junks  should  be  allowed  to  come  yearly  to  Japan,  and 
and  that  if  more  came,  they  should  he  burnt  or  otherwise 
destroyed.) 

At  the  age  of  33 — MUNETAKA  SHINNO  died,  and  his  son 
KOREYASU  SHINNO  occupied  his  place. 

It  was  in  this  reign,  the  seventh  from  YOEITOMO,  that 
the  Portuguese  first  visited  the  country.  Our  chronicle 
states  that  they  came  with  a  fleet  and  arrived  at  the 
island  of  Kiushiu.  They  brought  a  letter  from  their 
Government  to  the  Shogun,  to  the  effect  that  their 
sovereign  was  desirous  that  Japan  should  come  under 
Portuguese  protection  and  be  dependent.  KOREYASU 
SHINNO  was  extremely  indignant  on  hearing  such  an  im- 
pudent communication,  and  ordered  that  they  should  be 
driven  away  from  the  country.  The  order  was  executed, 
and  having  put  to  sea,  they  were  overtaken  by  a  typhoon 
which  sunk  all  their  ships,  and  of  all  who  had  reached 
Japan  only  three  men  were  saved  to  return  to  Portugal 
and  tell  the  sad  news  of  the  fate  of  their  companions. 

Kamakura  still  continued  to  be  the  residence  of  the 
Shogun  and  consequently  the  seat  of  Government.  On 
the  death  of  KOREYASU,  his  son  become  the  eighth 
Shogun  who  had  governed  from  thence,  and  nothing  of 
importance  occurred  during  his  reign  ;  but  in  that  of  the 
ninth,  MORIKUNI  SHINNO,  the  army  left  Kamakura  for 
Akusaki  and  destroyed  the  castle  and  confiscated  the 


PALL  OF  BAMAKTTRA.  829 

property  of  a  rebellious  daimio  KUSUNOKI.  At  the  time 
of  the  capture  the  prince  himself  was  absent,  and  only  a 
few  of  the  retainers  were  there,  and  thus  the  victory  of 
the  Shogun's  troops  was  easy  and  complete.  Having 
effected  this  the  army  marched  against  another  prince, 
MORIYOSHI  SHINNO,  and  took  the  castle  at  Yoshino  in  the 
province  of  Yamato.  Proceeding  further  to  a  place 
called  Chihaya  in  Yamato,  they  came  front  to  front  with 
KUSUNOKI,  and  this  time  they  suffered  a  repulse.  This 
was  the  beginning  of  a  series  of  misfortunes.  In  the 
following  month  a  daimio,  AKAMATSU  ENSHIN,  attacked 
Miyako,  and,  as  in  duty  bound,  the  Shogun's  army 
hurried  to  defend  the  metropolis  and  the  Mikado.  It  was 
unsuccessful  in  a  pitched  battle  with  AKAMATSU,  and  the 
daimios  OWAKI-NO-KAMI  and  ASHIKAGA  were  ordered  to 
go  against  the  insurgents.  They  fought  a  battle,  in 
which  OWABI  was  killed :  whilst  another  disaffected  prince, 
NITTA  YOSHISADA  collected  an  army,  and,  taking  ad- 
vantage of  the  absence  of  the  grand  army  of  the  Shogun, 
marched  upon  Kamakura.  The  city  was  taken  without 
difficulty,  and  from  that  period  ceased  to  be  the  Shogun's 
capital. 

These  nine  reigns  are  called  by  the  Japanese  the 
YOEITOMO  dynasty— but  our  account  will  cause  it  to 
be  fully  understood  that  the  six  last  Shoguns  were  only 
grafts  upon  the  family  tree,  by  the  appointment  of  the 
Mikado  and  by  adoption.  Throughout  the  whole  of  the 
latter  period  the  Eegency  continued  in  the  HOJO  family 
—and  in  every  Shogunate  they  were  the  real  directors 
of  affairs. 

The  dynasty  of  YOIUTOMO  then,  and  the  Eegency  of  the 
house  of  HOJO — extended  over  a  period  of  about  154 
years.  It  is  a  little  over  500  yea,rs  since  they  came  to  a 
close — and  for  a  considerable  period  the  grand  empire 
was  divided  into  two  sections,  North  and  South.  For  a. 
VOL.  i  oo 


880  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

long  series  of  years  War  raged  between  the  two  divisions 
— but  at  length  the  former  was  victorious,  and  its  ruler 
ASHIKAGA  TAKA--TJI  became  Shogun  over  the  whole  land. 
But  Kamakura  was  no  longer  the  capital — and  it 
gradually  sunk  in  importance,  and  became  only  re- 
membered for  its  former  glory — the  Hatchiman  and 
one  or  two  other  temples  and  the  Image  of  DAIBUTSZU — 
which  to  this  day  attract  numberless  pilgrims  to  wor- 
ship at  their  shrines. 


CHAPTEE  XXIX. 

ANOTHEE  TRAGEDY. — ATTACK  AT  KAMAKUBA  ON  MAJOR 
BALDWIN  AND  AND  LIEUT.  BIRD. — MANNER  OF  THE  ATTACK. — 
CONSTERNATION  THROUGHOUT  THE  SETTLEMENT. — DETERMINA- 
TION.— THE  FUNERAL. — JUSTICE. — THE  ASSASSINS  CAUGHT 
AND  DECAPITATED. — FIRST  DOUBTS  OF  FOREIGNERS  AS  TO  THE 
TRUE  CULPRITS  CLEARED  UP. — SHIMIDZU  SEIJI. — PROCES 
VERBAL. — SENTENCE. — PUBLIC  EXPOSURE  IN  THE  STREETS  OF 
YOKOHAMA. — THE  EXECUTION  GROUND. — THE  EXECUTIONER.- — 
THE  PRISONER'S  DEMEANOUR. — HIS  ANATHEMA  AGAINST  FOR- 
EIGNERS.— HIS  DEATH  ;  AND  THE  EXHIBITION  OF  HIS  HEAD 

FOR     THREE     DAYS. CAPTURE     AND    DECAPITATION     OF     HIS 

MISERABLE   ACCOMPLICE. — FATAL  FRACAS   IN  THE   YOSIIIWARA. 
— A  FRENCHMAN  KILLED,  BUT  WITHOUT  MALICE  PREPENSE. 

AND  here  I  have  brought  my  readers  to  the  spot 
where  another  of  those  cold-blooded,  treacherous  assassi- 
nations took  place,  of  which  so  many  have  been 
recorded. 

On  the  21st  of  November,  two  English  officers,  Major 
BALDWIN  and  Lieutenant  BIRD,  both  of  H.  M.  XXth 
Eegiment,  having  visited  Yenoshima  and  DAIUUTSZ', 
turned  into  the  road  that  led  from  the  cross-roads  to 
the  sea-shore ;  and  had  hardly  entered  it  when  they 


382  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

were  attacked  by  two  men,  each  of  whom,  selecting  his 
victim,  made  sure  work  by  making  the  assault  from 
behind,  with  those  dreadful  swords  whose  sharp  edges 
and  heavy  substance  rendered  their  gashes  so  deadly. 

MAJOR  BALDWIN,  who  was  riding  behind,  had  not  time 
to  use  his  revolver.  The  assassin  rushed  out  upon  him, 
and  with  the  fateful  upward  stroke,  cut  him  from  hip  to 
shoulder,  dividing  the  spine,  so  that  he  fell  at  once  from 
his  horse,  dead.  Lieut.  BIRD  appears  to  have  drawn  out 
his  revolver  and  fired  one  shot  at  the  assailant  of 
his  companion,  when  he  himself  was  assaulted  by  the 
second  villain,  and  mortally  wounded.  It  appeared 
from  the  testimony  given  at  the  inquest,  that  he  was  not 
actually  killed  on  the  spot ;  for  when  the  village 
authorities  were  informed  of  the  catastrophe  and  went  to 
him,  he  was  able  to  tell  them  his  name,  and  that  they 
were  English  officers.  Suspicion  for  a  moment  fell  on 
the  officials  ;  that  they  had  cut  the  thread  of  poor  BIRD'S 
life  in  order  that  he  might  tell  no  tales.  But  it  was 
dispelled  eventually  by  the  capture  of  the  actual  mur- 
derers. In  truth,  with  such  wounds  as  both  of  them 
received,  it  was  quite  impossible  they  could  have  lived 
long.  They  were  very  numerous  and  most  of  them 
fatal. 

The  consternation  spread  through  the  settlement  by 
this  occurrence  exhibited  itself  in  a  quiet,  resolute  deter- 
mination to  have  the  affair  investigated  to  the  bottom. 
Sir  RUTHERFORD  ALCOCK  was  on  the  point  of  departure 
for  Europe ;  but  he  at  once  laid  the  matter  before  the 
Gorojiu  in  such  a  manner  as  shewed  that  there  must  be 
no  trifling  this  time.  The  culprits  themselves  must  be 
found. 

And  they  were  found. 

The  bodies  were  removed  from  Kamakura  and  brought 
to  Yokohama.  The  funeral  took  place  the  following  day, 


JUSTICE.  333 

and  was  certainly  the  most  imposing  that  had  ever  been 
seen  in  Yokohama.  In  addition  to  draughts  of  men 
from  the  ships,  and  from  each  military  corps  ashore, 
all  the  officers  who  could  be  spared  from  duty,  and  all  the 
civilians  resident  in  Yokohama,  besides  many  Japanese 
high  officials,  were  present.  It  was  a  most  impressive 
ceremony  throughout,  but  it  was  rendered  the  more  so 
by  the  solemn  intensity  of  feeling  which  pervaded  every 
breast  in  that  vast  assembly.  It  was  not  a  cry  for 
vengeance  that  was  subsequently  raised.  It  was  a 
demand  for  justice.  And  justice  was  done. 

Both  of  the  assassins  were  captured ;  and  both  were 
decapitated.  The  first  was  taken  just  before  Sir 
EUTHEEFORD  ALCOCK  left ;  and  as  it  was  the  first  occasion 
on  which  any  murderer  of  foreigners  was  brought  to 
justice,  he  may  well  claim  it  as  one  of  the  beneficial 
results  of  his  decisive  policy. 

There  were  many  doubts  expressed  by  foreigners,  but 
more  still  by  Japanese,  as  to  whether  the  first  prisoner 
taken  was  actually  one  of  the  guilty.  It  was  openly 
alleged  that  he  was  a  culprit  doomed  to  death  for  another 
crime  ;  and  only  represented  to  foreigners  as  one  of  those 
who  had  taken  part  in  the  assault  on  the  Kamakura 
victims,  in  order  to  deceive  them,  and  satisfy  them  of  the 
intentions  of  the  Government  to  bring  all  such  villains 
to  justice,  and  of  their  power  to  punish  them.  The 
perusal  of  the  following  Proa's  Verbal,  signed  by  Mr. 
FLOWERS,  H.  B.  M.'s  Acting  Consul,  and  Mr.  SATOW, 
will,  however,  set  all  such  doubts  at  rest : — 

PROCES  VERBAL 

Of  the  recognition  of  SHIMIDZU  SEIJI,  one  of  tlic  murderers 
of  Major  BALDWIN  and  Lieut.  BIRD,  Jnj  the  Japanese 
witnesses  SEI,  KANEKITCHI,  ami  ICHIBE,  at  the 
Japanese  prison,  ToM,  on,  the  27th  December,  1864. 

"  Under  instructions  from  II.  M.  Charge  d' Affaires,  we 
proceeded  to  Tobe,  at  1  P.M.,  for  the  purpose  of  being 


884  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

present  at  the  recognition  of  the  criminal  by  the 
above-mentioned  witnesses,  and  on  our  arrival  found  the 
witnesses  assembled. 

"  It  was  arranged  that  the  witnesses  should  view  and 
observe  the  features  and  person  of  the  prisoner  from 
behind  a  screen ;  an  arrangement  which  the  sliding 
partitions  of  Japanese  rooms  rendered  perfectly  easy. 

"  The  prisoner  arrived  from  Yedo  about  4  P.M.,  and 
was  immediately  placed  so  as  to  be  fully  exposed  to  the 
observation  of  the  witnesses. 

"When  a  sufficient  time  had  elapsed  to  enable  the 
witnesses  to  speak  to  the  identity,  they  were  separately 
interrogated,  and  respectively  made  the  following  state- 
ments : — 

"SEi — (a  widow — -who keeps  the  sweetmeat  stall  at  the 
gate  of  .  Hajiman) — declared  that  she  recognised  the 
prisoner  to  be  the  man  who  laid  the  hat  on  her  bench, 
before  going  to  the  temple. 

"  KANEKITCHI — (a  lad  11  years  of  age,  residing  at 
Miura), — declared  that  he  recognised  the  prisoner  as  the 
man  who  with  drawn  sword  attacked  the  first  foreigner. 

"  ISHIBE — (the  keeper  of  the  KADOYA  tea-house  at 
Totsuka) — declared  that  he  recognised  the  prisoner  as 
one  of  the'  two  samurai,  who,  on  the  night  of  the  22nd 
of  the  10th  Japanese  month,  came  on  to  his  premises 
and  imperiously  demanded  food. 

"  Whereupon  we  proceeded  into  the  room  where  the 
prisoner  was,  and  the  following  questions  were  put  and 
replies  received,  through  the  undersigned  E.  SATOW  as 
interpreter : — 

"  'Are  you  indeed  SHIMIDZU  SEI.TI  ?  ' 

"  'Yes  :  my  name  is  SHIMIDZU  SEIJI.' 

"'Are  you  one  of  the  men  who  killed  the  foreign 
officers  at  Kamakura  on  the  22nd  of  the  10th  Japanese 
month  ?  " 

"  Yes :  I  killed  one  of  the  foreign  officers  at 
Kamakura." 

The  last  question  was  repeated  in  a  somewhat  varied 
form,  and  the  prisoner  rejoined : — 

"  'Without  doubt  I  am  one  of  the  men  who  killed  the 
foreigners  at  Kamakura.  But  I  have  something  to  say 
about  the  manner  in  which  I  have  been  examined." 

"  At  this  point  the  Japanese  officers  rushed  in,  and 


SHIMIDZU  SEIJI.  835 

ordering  the  prisoners  ,to  be  silent,  requested  that  the 
interrogations  might  cease;  and  the  undersigned  Acting 
Consul,  considering  the  satisfactory  character  of  the 
recognition,  and  the  subsequent  acknowledgment  of  guilt, 
rendered  it  unnecessary  to  proceed  farther,  we  retired  to 
the  next  apartment. 

"  The  prisoner  looked  pale  from  confinement ;  but  did 
not  exhibit  on  his  person  or  countenance,  any  marks  of 
exhaustion  or  ill-usage. 

MABCUS  FLOWEKS, 

Acting  Consul. 
EENEST  SATOW, 

Student  interpreter." 

The  sentence  passed  upon  this  wretched  man  was,  that 
he  should  first  be  exposed  through  the  streets  of  Yoko- 
hama, then  decapitated,  and  his  head  subsequently 
exhibited  on  the  public  highway. 

Accordingly,  about  5  P.M.  on  the  30th  December,  he 
was  placed,  tightly  bound,  on  a  pack-horse,  and  led 
through  the  streets  both  of  the  foreign  settlement  and 
the  native  town.  A  board  was  carried  before  him,  on 
which  was  his  sentence,  written  in  large  characters,  such 
as  all  could  read.  A  sufficient  number  of  officials  of  the 
lower  grades  walked  in  the  procession ;  which  was  aug- 
mented every  minute,  by  scores  of  natives  and  foreigners. 

His  demeanour  was  that  of  a  most  determined  and 
rabid  hater  of  foreigners.  Throughout  the  whole  route, 
he  sung  at  the  loudest  pitch  of  his  voice,  sentences  full 
of  his  abhorrence  of  them,  and  calling  on  his  country- 
men to  do  as  he  had  done.  He  was  even  addressed  by 
foreigners,  and  replied  to  them,  glorying  in  his  deed. 
He  partook  of  refreshment  at  one  tea-house  in  the  native 
town  ;  and  it  was  quite  evident,  that,  whatever  were  the 
feelings  generally  prevalent  as  to  foreigners,  there  was  a 
strong  sympathy  felt  for  him — hardly  to  be  wondered  at, 
considering  the  manly  way  he  played  his  part  throughout. 

The  procession  moved  out,  and  went  to  the  Execution 


886  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

Ground,  just  above  the  Tobe  prison ;  but  it  was  now 
quite  dark,  and  not  possible  for  the  military  to  see  the 
decapitation  that  night.  So  as  this  was  deemed  to  be  a 
most  important  part  of  the  proceedings,  he  was  removed 
to  the  prison,  and,  much  to  his  own  chagrin,  spared  in 
life  for  another  night  and  morning. 

At  nine  o'clock  the  next  morning,  the  XXth  Eegiment, 
the  Marines,  and  the  Artillery,  were  formed  in  three 
sides  of  a  square,  opposite  the  spot  where  he  was  to  suffer, 
and  a  very  large  majority  of  the  residents  occupied  the 
ground  within  the  enclosure. 

Ordinary  executions  were  quite  frequent.  They  took 
place  within  the  precincts  of  the  Tobe  prison,  in  a 
small  paved  square,  enclosed  by  black  boarded  palings. 
Those  who  hear  of  decapitations,  in  lands  where  it  is  almost 
unknown,  or  who  judge  of  such  things  by  the  accounts 
handed  down  from  the  middle  ages,  and  picture  to  them- 
selves all  the  paraphernalia  of  the  axe  and  the  block, 
with  the  half  brutalised,  masked  executioner,  have  no- 
thing before  them  at  all  assimilating  to  a  decapitation  in 
Japan.  It  is  done  so  unceremoniously,  and  in  such  a 
matter-of-fact,  easy,  off-hand  way,  with  that  marvellous 
cleaver,  the  sword,  that  it  produces  no  emotion. 
Generally  the  prisoners  are  sufficiently  drugged  to  pre- 
vent their  being  actually  conscious  at  the  last  of  what  is 
taking  place.  Their  sentence  is  read  to  them ;  and  they 
are  at  once  hurried  off,  their  arms  bound  tightly  behind 
them,  to  their  death.  A  hole  about  three  feet  square  and 
four  to  six  inches  deep  has  been  prepared ;  on  one  side  of 
which  they  are  made  to  kneel.  They  are  supported  and 
hurried  in,  blindfold,  by  two  gaolers,  who,  in  days  gone 
by,  used  always  to  be  of  the  ycta  class  ;  and  while  these 
men  placed  the  condemned  on  his  kness,  bent  his  head 
forward,  and  bared  his  neck  and  shoulders,  the  executioner 
poured  a  little  water  on  his  sword  with  a  small  ladle,  from 


THE  EXECUTION  GROUND.  887 

a  bucket  close  at  hand,  and  every  preparation  was  com- 
plete. The  executioner,  baring  his  arms  and  tying  the 
sleeves  back  in  a  manner  peculiar  to  Japanese,  raised 
his  sword,  and  in  a  moment,  with  one  fell  swoop, 
the  work  was  done.  The  head  fell  into  the  hole, 
the  body  over  it ;  and  those  whose  duty  it  was,  huddled 
trunk  and  head  into  a  mat  bag  prepared  for  them,  and 
all  was  over. 

But  special  criminals  were  dealt  with  elsewhere.  The 
crucifixions,  for  instance,  for  such  crimes  as  the  murder 
of  a  husband  or  a  father,  and  the  burnings  alive  which 
in  some  cases  expiated  the  crime  of  arson,  took  place  on 
special  execution  grounds  ;  and  on  one  of  these  SHIMIDZU 
SEIJI  was  now  to  yield  his  life. 

The  site  was  particularly  well  chosen ;  for  it  was  the 
highest  point  of  the  table-land  above  the  Tobe,  and  very 
spacious  and  open  withal,  except  at  the  back,  where  the 
pine  trees  closed  it  in.  On  the  present  occasion  a  fence 
had  been  placed  around  a  sufficient  space  to  accommodate 
all  the  foreigners  likely  to  put  in  an  appearance ;  and 
forms  had  been  placed  for  the  European  and  native 
officials.  The  hour  appointed  was  10  A.M.,  but  it  was 
near  11  before  a  norimon  with  a  few  prison  attendants 
was  seen  wending  its  way  from  the  prison,  along  the 
narrow  winding  paths  between  the  fields  ;  and  shortly  it 
arrived  on  the  ground.  The  bars  of  the  norimon  were 
removed,  and  the  murderer  got  out  nimbly,  bound  as 
he  was,  and  bowed  to  the  native  officers.  Evidently  he 
had  not  been  drugged  ;  for,  when  the  men  came  forward 
with  a  cloth  to  bind  his  eyes,  he  pleaded  so  earnestly 
that  he  might  be  spared  this  humiliation,  that  the  officer 
granted  his  prayer ;  and  he  immediately  walked  lightly 
and  jauntily  to  the  hole,  and  knelt  in  front  if  it,  before 
the  attendants  had  time  to  lay  hold  of  him  to  guide  him 
in  the  usual  manner. 

VOL.  i  pp 


888  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

The  executioner  of  the  day  was  a  young  man,  at  whose 
side  the  regular  executioner  was  standing.  SHIMIDZU 
asked  him  to  wait  a  moment.  He  then  threw  himself 
back  on  his  haunches,  and  sung  a  verse  containing  a 
terrible  imprecation  on  foreigners ;  then,  placing  him- 
self in  position,  the  attendants  adjusting  his  clothes,  he 
looked  up  at  the  executioner,  and  asked  if  he  was  sure  of 
his  skill ;  remarking  that  he  had  a  very  thick  neck.  The 
executioner  seemed  a  little  taken  aback  by  this ;  but 
after  the  utterance  of  one  more  most  discordant,  pas- 
sionate howl  against  foreigners,  the  doomed  one  bent  his 
head  forward,  and  said,  "  Now."  In  an  instant  the 
sword  flashed  through  the  air ;  but,  alas !  although 
certainly  death  accompanied  the  first  blow — the  spinal 
chord  was  severed  and  the  head  fell  forward — yet  it  took 
two  more  slashes  actually  to  sever  it  from  the  trunk. 

As  the  sword  fell  the  first  time,  the  artillery  discharged 
one  gun,  which  it  is  not  improbable  the  assassin  may 
have  heard  as  the  last  sound,  ere  his  senses  failed  him. 

All  was  over.  The  heroism  with  which  the  man  met 
his  death,  awakened  in  many  breasts  a  feeling  of  com- 
passion— or  rather  of  sorrow  that  if  such  a  man  must  die 
by  the  sword,  it  had  not  been  in  a  better  cause. 

The  execution  ground  is  about  two  miles  from  the 
settlement  of  Yokohama ;  but  as  foreigners  returned  to 
their  own  homes,  they  found  at  the  Yoshida  bridge,  at  the 
entrance  of  the  native  town,  the  ghastly  head,  moist  and 
bleeding,  impaled  on  an  iron  spike,  the  neck  embedded  in 
clay,  on  a  kind  of  low  gallows  or  stand,  attended  by 
guards,  appointed  to  watch  it  and  see  that  it  was  not 
touched  by  the  natives  ;  and  there  it  remained  for  three 
days — the  inscription  of  the  crime  and  the  sentence 
being  placed  in  front  of  it. 

It  is  a  remarkable  fact  that,  ever  since  then,  all  Japa- 
nese who  have  assaulted  foreigners  have  been  captured, 


FATAL  FRACAS.  389 

and  have  been  dealt  with  according  to  law.  And  it  is 
very  certain  that,  in  every  case,  the  actual  culprits  might 
have  been  taken  had  proper  efforts  been  made  ;  and  had 
there  been  no  fear  of  consequences. 

I  will  no  further  refer  to  the  capture  and  decapitation  of 
the  companion  of  SHIMIDZU,  which  took  place  two  or 
three  months  later,  than  to  say  that  the  spectacle  was  in 
every  way  the  very  opposite  to  that  displayed  in  his  case. 
A  poor,  tortured  victim,  so  heavily  drugged  that^he  could 
not  keep  his  eyes  open  whilst  waiting  a  few  minutes 
(as  he  had  to  do)  for  the  arrival  of  the  British  officials  : 
with  difficulty  supported  to  the  fatal  spot,  and  unable  to 
support  his  head  as  it  was  bent  over  the  hole.  In  his 
case  the  work  was  well  and  cleanly  done  by  the  proper 
executioner ;  and  everyone  who  witnessed  it  sorrowed  to 
see  such  a  mean  and  pitiable  exhibition. 

But  justice  was  satisfied ;  and  for  a  considerable  time, 
such  cowardly  lamentable  personal  attacks  ceased. 

Towards  the  end  of  the  year,  a  fracas  took  place  in 
Yokohama  which  had  a  fatal  result.  Some  French 
sailors,  in  a  state  of  intoxication  went  to  the  Yoshiwara, 
the  immoral  quarter  of  the  town.  A  quarrel  arose 
between  them  and  a  number  of  the  people,  and  they  were 
obliged  to  fiy,  pursued  by  many  of  the  exasperated 
natives  armed  with  missiles  and  weapons  of  various  kinds. 
Unhappily  one  Frenchman  was  killed  on  the  spot,  and 
another  severely  wounded.  But  this  was  one  of  those 
deplorable  cases  that  arose  solely  from  the  folly  of  the 
sufferers  themselves  ;  and  had  not  the  slightest  taint  of 
political  animosity  attaching  to  it. 


CHAPTEE  XXX. 

PROPOSAL  TO  ESTABLISH  A  CHAMBER  OF  COMMERCE. — 
APPARENT  NEED  OF  SUCH  AN  INSTITUTION. — INTERFERENCE 

OF   JAPANESE    OFFICIALS    IN    EVERY    TRANSACTION. VISIT   OF 

FOREIGN  REPRESENTATIVES  TO  YEDO. — YOKOHAMA  AND  LITE- 
RARY INSTITUTIONS. MUNICIPAL. — GOOD  FEELING  BETWEEN 

THE  JAPANESE  AND  FOREIGN  TROOPS. FIELD  DAY  IN  PRE- 
SENCE OF  HIGH  FUNCTIONARIES. ANOTHER  INCIDENT. — 

JAPANESE  MAKE  THE  ROAD  BY  HOMOCO  VALLEY  AND  MISSIS- 
SIPPI BAY. THE  RIFLE  RANGE. — IMPROVED  RELATIONS  AND 

DEPARTURE  OF  ROYAL  MARINES. — DIPLOMATIC  CHANGES. — 
DETERMINATION  OF  TYCOON  TO  PUNISH  CHOSHIU,  AND  OF 
THE  LATTER  TO  RESIST. — SATSUMA  TO  ASSIST  CHOSHIU  ;  BUT 

THE    SHOGUN  NEVERTHELESS   RESOLUTE. HE  IS   TO    PROCEED 

TO   OSAKA  BY  LAND. REVIEWS  100,000  TROOPS  AT  COMABA. 

A  FEW  incidents  of  a  less  exciting  character  call  for 
notice,  ere  we  take  leave  of  the  year  1864. 

On  the  26th  October  a  meeting  was  held  at  the 
residence  of  Mr.  CHARLES  EICKERBY,  the  manager  of  the 
Central  Bank  of  Western  India,  to  discuss  a  proposition 


CHAMBER  OF  COMMERCE.  341 

for  the  establishment  of  a  Chamber  of  Commerce  in 
Yokohama.     Mr.  KINGDON  presided. 

The  proposal  was  brought  forward  by  Mr.  EICKERBY, 
who  considered  that  the  time  had  arrived  when  such  a 
Chamber  would  be  useful.  The  trade  of  the  port  had 
indeed  become  so  considerable  as  to  render  it  a  necessity. 
He  had  himself  seen  within  eighteen  months,  no  less 
than  five  cases  go  before  the  Consulate,  which  would  have 
been  more  satisfactorily  settled  by  a  Chamber ;  and  he 
mentioned  a  variety  of  matters  in  which  the  action  of  the 
Chamber  would  be  called  for. 

Mr.  MARSHALL,  though  doubtful  whether  this  was  the 
best  time  to  start  the  project,  moved,  "  that  a  committee 
be  appointed  to  ascertain  the  views  of  the  community." 
And  this  having  been  passed,  the  meeting  adjourned. 

It  really  did  seem  that  the  sendees  of  such  an  in- 
stitution were  seriously  needed.  The  obstructions  placed 
in  the  way  of  trade  by  the  Japanese  officials  were  vexa- 
tious to  a  degree. 

It  was  asserted  by  the  Japanese  merchants,  and  it 
was  strictly  true,  that  not  a  transaction  of  any  sort 
between  them  and  foreign  merchants  was  unknown  and 
entirely  uncontrolled  by  the  local  officials.  Quantities, 
prices,  profits,  losses,  were  all  noted  by  them,  and  the 
inquisitorial  system  was  carried  so  far,  as  to  interfere 
materially  with  the  course  of  trade. 

The  obstruction  to  the  entrance  of  Silk  in  particular, 
continued,  notwithstanding  all  that  had  passed  upon  the 
subject,  between  the  Government  and  the  Consuls. 
Indeed  it  now  assumed  so  marked  a  character  that  the 
Representatives  of  the  United  States,  Holland,  France 
and  England,  deemed  it  necessary  to  visit  the  Gorojiu  toge- 
ther and  impress  upon  that  august  Council,  the  absolute 
necessity  for  some  decided  improvement.  They  went 
up  accompanied  by  a  portion  of  the  fleet — not  inten- 


842  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

tionally  as  a  menace  ;  but  it  appears  that  this  fact  acted 
as  a  very  efficient  spur :  for  the  moment  it  was  ascer- 
tained that  they  were  so  attended,  the  Gorojiu  hastened 
to  send  orders  to  remove  all  restrictions  on  the  importa- 
tion of  silk  into  Yokohama. 

It  has  often  been  a  matter  of  surprise  to  new  comers 
and  visitors  to  Yokohama,  to  find  that  the  settlement 
has  remained  so  long  without  a  public  literary  institu- 
tion of  any  kind.  This  has  not  arisen  from  want  of 
appreciation  of  the  need  of  it.  Two  have  been  launched, 
but,  through  mismanagement,  have  fallen  through.  The 
first  was  called  into  existence  in  December  1864,  and 
had  an  ephemeral  existence  of  some  six  months. 

Before  the  end  of  this  year  an  effort  was  made  to  get 
the  Municipal  Council  re-started.  A  meeting  was  held, 
and  a  preliminary  committee  appointed  to  "  enquire  as 
to  the  best  method  of  forming  a  Municipal  Council." 
The  result  was  seen  in  the  following  spring. 

As  an  evidence  of  the  good  feeling  prevailing  between 
the  Japanese  and  foreign  troops,  I  may  mention,  that 
in  the  middle  of  October  some  of  the  Japanese  troops 
quartered  at  Noge,  about  two  miles  from  the  settlement, 
were  reviewed  by  their  own  officials  on  their  ordinary 
drill-ground,  Sir  K.  ALCOCK  and  several  foreign  officials 
being  present. 

The  next  day,  there  was  another  review  on  a  more 
extensive  scale,  upon  the  small  lot  of  vacant  ground  in 
the  Swamp  Concession,  in  rear  of  the  German  Club.  It 
was  a  novel  sight,  and  one  that  will  not  easily  be  for- 
gotten by  those  who  witnessed  it.  The  English,  United 
States,  and  Dutch,  Ministers  were  present :  the  Consuls, 
and  the  bulk  of  the  foreign  residents.  Of  course  there 
was  also  a  great  crowd  of  Japanese. 

The  Japanese  soldiers  marched  on  to  the  ground, 
under  the  command  of  KUBOTA  SENTARO,  the  brigadier  in 


FBIENDL7  AMENITIES.  843 

command  of  all  the  Japanese  troops  in  and  around 
Yokohama. 

Of  English  troops  there  were  of  the  XXth  500  men  ; 
Royal  Marines  330 ;  67th  140  ;  Beloochees  130  ;  Artillery 
55  ;  Engineers  22  ;  and  Military  train  12  ;  — in  all  1189 
rank  and  file,  in  addition  to  their  officers. 

At  11  A.M.  SAKAI  HIGA-NO-KAMI,  Vice-Minister  and 
member  of  Gorojiu,  TAKEMOTO  AWADZI-NO-KAMI,  confi- 
dential agent  of  the  Tycoon  and  principal  Minister  for 
Foreign  Affairs,  SHIBATA  HIGA-NO-KAMI,  Commissioner 
and  Minister  for  Foreign  Affairs,  and  the  two  Governors 
of  Kanagawa,  arrived,  with  a  large  gathering  of  officials. 

I  have  already  alluded  to  this  review  in  chapter  XIV. 

From  this  time  onwards  pleasant  episodes  of  this,  or 
an  equally  friendly,  character,  were  constantly  taking 
place  between  Japanese  and  foreigners  ;  and  so  far  as 
Yokohama  itself  was  concerned,  it  might  have  been 
supposed  that  the  events  which  had  so  recently  passed,  had 
never  been.  No  distrust  was  observable  on  either  side ;  and 
life  went  on  from  day  to  day  as  if  foreigners  were  welcome 
guests,  and  the  Japanese  generous  and  appreciative  hosts. 

One  simple  incident  occurs  to  me.  I  was  walking 
with  a  friend,  in  the  spring  of  1865,  in  front  of  one  of 
the  native  guard-houses  on  the  Bluff.  Several  of  the 
soldiers  were  evidently  making  preparations  for  some- 
thing out  of  the  common,  and  one,  beckoning  to  my 
companion  and  myself  to  approach,  made  us  understand 
that  they  were  about  to  have  a  sham  fight,  at  the  same 
time  inviting  us  to  remain  as  witnesses. 

At  the  moment  of  our  arrival  they  were  drawing  lots 
for  sides.  There  were  a  number  of  strings,  some  with 
white  and  some  with  red  ends.  The  uncoloured  ends  of 
the  strings  were  held  to  each  of  the  would-be  competitors, 
and  everyone  as  he  drew  one  or  the  other,  became 
attached  to  the  party  displaying  that  colour.  He  then 


844  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

took  a  piece  of  baked  clay  painted  of  his  particular  colour, 
and  fixed  it  across  the  top  of  his  head,  which  it  was  shaped 
to  fit.  Then,  equipping  himself  in  the  ordinary  defen- 
sive articles  with  which  they  used  habitually  to  practice 
fencing  and  sword  exercise,  umpires  were  appointed,  and 
the  belligerents  took  their  positions  opposite  to  each 
other. 

There  were  eight  on  either  side.  They  fought  with 
the  ordinary  two-handed  wooden  swords  with  which  all 
Japanese  samurai  practised.  The  object  was  to  break 
their  opponent's  clay  head-piece ;  and  he  whose  dis- 
tinguishing badge  was  so  fractured  was  considered 
dead,  and  the  umpires  conducted  him  from  the  field. 

The  fight  commenced.  There  was  a  good  deal  of 
feinting  before  they  came  to  close  quarters.  At  last  two 
or  three  on  each  side  were  hard  at  it,  the  rest  watching 
eagerly  and  excitedly,  as  if  biding  their  time. 

Now  one,  who  had  not  as  yet  joined  in  the  fray, 
seemed  to  think  he  could  finish  one  of  the  engaged  of  the 
opposite  party  by  rushing  in  behind  and  taking  him  at  a 
disadvantage  whilst  defending  himself  from,  or  attacking, 
his  foe  in  front.  Quick  as  thought  this  was  discovered 
by  the  disengaged  on  the  other  side,  and  a  warrior  flew 
to  meet  the  new-comer  and  foil  his  threatened  attack. 
Thus  gradually  all  joined  in,  and  the  melee  became 
general. 

There  was  a  good  deal  of  excitement  about  it,  even  to 
lookers-on ;  for  the  sword  play,  after  its  kind,  was 
excellent,  and  evidently  all  the  belligerents  were  adepts. 

The  greatest  good  humour  prevailed  among  the 
combatants.  Not  a  scowl  was  seen,  nor  a  growl  heard, 
beyond  the  ordinary  ejaculations  inseparable  from 
Japanese  athletic  competitions. 

At  length  all  were  vanquished  but  two  on  one  side  and 
one  on  the  other ;  when,  being  pressed  hard  by  his  foes , 


A  SHAM  FIGHT.  345 

the  one  retired  backward  along  the  pathway,  ever  with 
his  face  to  his  adversaries,  and  bravely  fighting  as  he 
fled. 

On  the  pathway  were  two  British  Naval  officers,  one  of 
whom  stepped  aside  and  let  them  pass — the  other  ran 
along  the  path — to  get  out  of  their  way.  This  incident 
amused  the  Japanese  intensely;  they  fairly  screamed 
with  laughter,  evidently  imagining  that  he  fled  from 
supposed  danger. 

Presently  the  single  warrior  stumbled  over  the  bank, 
and  was  obliged  to  jump  down  into  the  field  about  three 
or  four  feet  below  the  path.  His  pursuers  immediately 
belaboured  him  unmercifully,  and  we  could  not  help 
thinking  it  a  great  misfortune  for  him  that  his 
clay  casque  was  so  tough,  for  the  blows  must  have 
hurt  him  considerably.  He  continued  to  defend  himself 
still  as  well  as  he  could ;  but  it  was  a  relief  when  the 
umpires  stopped  the  unequal  strife :  declaring  him  a  hero, 
but  his  side  fairly  vanquished. 

The  game,  if  we  may  so  call  it,  was  repeated  again  and 
again  throughout  the  day,  and  gave  a  sort  of  weak  idea 
of  what  the  old  style  of  fighting  was  among  the  Japanese. 

Outside  of  the  settlement,  the  Japanese  did  bestir  them- 
selves in  our  behalf.  By  making  a  good  carriage  road 
from  Yokohama  to  Mississippi  Bay  by  the  Homoku 
valley,  round  over  the  hills  above  Negishi,  and  reentering 
the  settlement  by  Ishikawa  and  the  Swamp  Concession, 
they  hoped  they  would  provide  an  inducement  for 
foreigners  to  confine  themselves  to  it,  and  to  leave  the 
Tokaido  unvisited. 

It  had  this  effect  to  some  extent,  as  the  residents 
largely  adopted  the  road  for  their  daily  constitutional 
rides,  and  many  family  men  procured  carriages  of 
different  kinds  from  Shanghai  and  elsewhere.  Thence- 
forward wheel  traffic  became  quite  common. 

VOL.  i  QQ 


846  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

The  Japanese  also  caused  one  of  the  deep  bays  in  the 
Homoco  valley  to  be  laid  out  as  a  rifle  range.  It  was 
bounded  by  two  long  spurs  of  high  land,  the  hill  at  the 
extremity  of  which  was  cut  and  faced,  and  when  the 
targets  were  placed,  formed  one  of  the  best  Eifle  butts 
in  the  East.  The  broad  space  between  the  spurs  was 
further  defined  and  bounded  by  a  deep  ditch  on  each 
side,  for  a  distance  of  about  a  thousand  yards.  It  was 
to  be  used  indiscriminately  by  Japanese  and  foreigners  ; 
and  a  portion  of  the  ground,  when  drained  and  properly 
grassed,  was  used  as  a  race-course. 

The  relations  between  Japan  and  the  Western  Powers 
were  deemed  now  to  have  changed  so  decidedly  for  the 
better,  that  the  Royal  Marines  were  ordered  to  hold 
themselves  in  readiness  to  embark  on  board  the 
Conqueror,  and  proceed  home.  But  two  companies 
of  the  llth  Regiment  were  ordered  to  Japan  from 
Hongkong. 

News  arrived  in  the  month  of  May  that  Sir  RUTHEEFOBD 
ALCOCK  would  not  return  to  Japan.  He  was  promoted 
to  Peking.  Sir  HARRY  SMYTHE  PARKES  K.C.B.,  was  to 
replace  him  in  the  land  of  the  Rising  Sun.  Dr. 
WINCHESTER  was  to  go  to  Shanghai  as  H.B.M.'s  Consul ; 
and  Dr.  MYBURGH  was  appointed  Consul  at  Yokohama. 

It  was  now  reported  that  the  Tycoon  had  decided  to 
confiscate  the  dominions  of  the  Prince  of  Choshiu,  as  an 
equivalent  for  the  $3,000,000  which  he  had  undertaken  to 
pay  to  England,  France,  Holland  and  the  United  States. 
But  Nagato  prepared  to  resist  him  to  the  last  extremity. 

It  was  understood  that  the  Tycoon  himself  was  about 
to  head  his  forces  and  to  attack  the  rebel  in  his  own 
dominions. 

It  was  also  stated  that  the  powerful  Satsunaa  clan  had 
promised  its  assistance  to  Choshiu ;  but  that  this  fact 
did  not  deter  the  young  Generalissimo  of  the  empire — who 


TYCOON  REVIEWS  HIS  TROOPS.  847 

was  fired  with  the  desire  of  proving  himself  a  worthy 
descendant  of  the  redoubtable  Gongen-sama  ;  well  able 
to  maintain  by  force  the  sacred  rights  attached  to  the 
throne  which  his  great  ancestor  had  won  by  conquest  for 
his  family. 

It  was  arranged  that  he  should  proceed  from  Yedo  to 
Osaka  by  land.  A  few  days  before  setting  forth,  he 
reviewed  at  Comaba,  (the  site  where  the  Agricultural 
College  now  stands),  100,000  troops,  of  those  who  owed 
him  personal  allegiance  ;  and  who  were  to  march  forth- 
with to  take  part  in  the  struggle  with  Choshiu. 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

EVIDENCES  OF  JAPANESE  ACCEPTANCE  OF  A  PROGRESS 
POLICY. INCIDENT  THAT  PROVED  IT  TO  THE  AUTHOR. — PROCLA- 
MATIONS OF  THE  TYCOON  BEFORE  STARTING  FOR  THE  WEST. 
GENERAL  PROCLAMATION. — PROCLAMATION  TO  THE  GOROJIU. — 
THE  TYCOON'S  PASSAGE  THROUGH  KANAGAWA,  AS  WITNESSED 
BY  FOREIGNERS. — APPEAL  OF  THE  TYCOON  FOR  SUPPLIES  TO 
DEFRAY  THE  EXPENSES  OF  THE  PRESENT  EXPEDITION. — 
CIRCUMSTANCES  SHOWING  THE  TEST  HIS  RETAINERS  WERE  PUT 
TO  IN  THEIR  SYMPATHY  WITH  CHOSHIU. — MANY  PLEAD  SICK- 
NESS.— MATZ'DAIRA  IDZUMI-NO-KAMI'S  REPLY  AND  ITS  EFFECT. 

LETTER  FROM  A  COLONEL  OF  ARTILLERY  IN  THE  ARMY  TO  HIS 

BROTHER  IN  YEDO. — PERIL  OF  TYCOON  EN  ROUTE. — PLOT 

FOR  HIS  ASSASSINATION  AT  DZEZE  DISCOVERED. ONE  OF  THE 

RINGLEADERS  EXECUTED  IN  YEDO. 

MY  readers  will  now  be  struck  with  the  decided 
evidences  of  the  readiness  of  the  Japanese  for  the 
acceptance  of  the  progress  that  has  since  this  time  so 
rapidly  developed  itself  among  them. 

One  of  the  first  incidents  that  awakened  me  to  the 
recognition  of  it,  was,  a  visit  I  had,  in  my  capacity  as 
editor  of  the  japan  Herald ;  which  showed  me  that  a 


THE  FOUKTH  ESTATE.  349 

comprehension  of  the  power  of  the  Press  was  actually 
extending  to  the  officials  of  the  Government. 

The  gentleman  who  called  upon  me  was  then  very 
young.  He  was  passing  through  one  of  the  schools  for 
foreign  languages ;  and  was  also  undergoing  military 
drill  with  his  companions,  under  foreign  instruction. 

With  the  utmost  modesty  he  begged  my  pardon  if  he 
was  taking  an  unjustifiable  liberty,  and  hoped  I  would 
not  betray  to  any  one  his  having  come  to  me.  He  then 
told  me  that  he  had  received  instructions  from  the 
officials  (of  his  clan  as  I  understood)  to  see  me,  and  to  men- 
tion that  the  Envoys  who  had  been  incarcerated  in  Yedo 
during  the  month  of  August  in  the  preceding  year,  for 
their  non-success  in  their  mission  to  France,  were  still  in 
confinement ;  and  further  to  ask  me  to  mention  it  in  the 
newspaper  with  a  recommendation  that  they  should  be 
released. 

I  said  I  would  certainly  comply  with  the  request,  and 
assured  him  also  that  his  visit  should  be  a  secret;  and  that 
he  need  be  under  no  apprehension  on  that  account. 

Accordingly  I  made  it  the  subject  of  a  leading  article 
on  the  following  Saturday,  (June  24th  1865),  and  had  no 
expectation  of  hearing  anything  more  about  it.  If  I 
remember  rightly,  there  were  only  about  half  a  dozen 
copies  of  the  paper  at  that  time  subscribed  for  by 
Japanese. 

I  cannot  recollect  how  long  it  may  have  been  after  the 
article  appeared,  when  I  received  another  visit  from  the 
same  young  gentleman,  for  the  purpose  of  thanking  me, 
and  telling  me  that  the  appeal  in  the  foreign  newspaper, 
had  been  successful. 

Surely  no  better  evidence  of  the  change  that  was  at 
hand,  could  be  given  than  this : — that  the  influence  of 
the  fourth  estate  was  acknowledged. 

The  gentleman  who  thus  called  upon  me  in  1865,  is 


850  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

now  a  very  influential  man  in  the  estimation  both  of 
foreigners  and  of  his  own  countrymen.  He  is  one  of  the 
most  able,  consistent  and  earnest  friends  of  solid  pro- 
gress— not  of  mere  change  for  change's  sake — among  the 
Japanese  ;  and  is  intimately  connected  with  some  of  the 
most  marked  and  useful  efforts  for  effecting  good  feeling, 
and  pleasant  and  profitable  intercourse  between  Japan 
and  foreigners. 

The  Tycoon  having  now  resolved  to  head  his  forces 
against  Choshiu,  the  subjoined  proclamations  were 
issued : — 

GENERAL  PROCLAMATION  OF  THE  TYCOON  : — 

"  One  of  the  maxims  of  GONGEN-SAMA  was,  that  '  if  a 
single  motive  is  sufficient  to  determine  an  individual  to 
act,  a  public  man  ought  not  to  enter  upon  a  resolution 
without  having  ten  good  reasons  ;  and  that  where  a 
private  man  only  foresees  one  inconvenience,  a  public 
man  ought  to  foresee  ten.' 

"Our  ancestors  and  ourselves  have  always  been  faithful 
to  this  maxim ;  and  it  is  partly  because  we  have  been 
directed  by  it,  that  we  have  been  accused  by  our  friends, 
— devoted  to  us  but  yet  impatient — of  sluggishness,  whilst 
our  enemies  have  blamed  us  for  acting  too  hastily. 

"If  we  have  deserved  censure  from  our  friends,  at  least 
we  are  able  to  silence  our  enemies. 

"We  are  now  about  to  begin  the  most  just  war,  and  to 
inflict  upon  a  rebel  the  most  merited  punishment,  ever 
recorded  in  our  annals.  The  crime,  or  rather  the  crimes, 
of  MORI  DAIZEN,  are  so  patent,  that  none  would  venture 
to  make  any  defence  for  him.  As  to  those  who  wilfully 
would  call  them  in  question,  we  would  simply  reply  to 
them  by  letting  them  known  the  acts  of  MORI.  His  very 
bad  heart  manifested  itself  at  the  very  time  when  dif- 
ficulties and  intrigues  almost  deprived  us  of  the  rights  of 
our  ancestors,  and  threatened  to  overthrow  the  Govern- 
ment. MORI  was  at  that  time  so  much  more  guilty,  that 
he  was  conspiring  in  the  most  hypocritical  way.  Ever 
since,  he  has  not  ceased  to  carry  on  intrigues  in  the 
court  of  the  Mikado,  audaciously  misrepresenting  and 


TYCOON'S  GENERAL  PROCLAMATION.  851 

calumniating  our  intentions,  when  he  could  produce  no 
facts. 

"  He  has  in  a  most  vile  manner  deceived  many  of  the 
Kuge,  although  they  were  favourably  disposed  for  the  new 
state  of  things.  Owing  to  very  difficult  times,  measures 
and  precautions  having  been  taken  throughout  the 
Empire,  often  very  vague  and  as  little  precise  as  the 
circumstances  which  caused  them  would  permit.  These 
were  for  MORI  a  pretext  for  manifesting  his  bad  character. 
He  attacked  inoffensive  vessels  belonging  to  the  countries 
having  a  treaty  with  Japan.  These  ships  had  in  no  way 
provoked  such  an  aggression.  MORI  pretended  to  justify 
this  uncalled-for  aggression  by  general  orders  issued  ~by 
the  Mikado  and  ourselves.  We  apparently  took  for  good 
these  explanations,  but  in  order  to  avoid  for  the  future 
such  misunderstandings,  we  sent  to  MORI  DAIZEN,  an 
Ornetsuke  with  many  other  officers  both  enlightened  and 
prudent.  MORI  caused  them  to  be  murdered  in  the  most 
treacherous  manner,  and  dared  afterwards  to  assert  that 
such  a  murder  was  not  to  be  imputed  to  him.  It  is  a 
thing  unheard  of — to  say  that  the  chief  is  not  responsible 
for  the  faults  of  his  subordinates. 

"Meanwhile  the  intrigues  of  MORI  in  order  to  disturb 
the  minds  of  the  Mikado  and  high  Kuge,  were  becoming 
more  and  more  bold.  But  that  which  is  not  seen  in 
stormy  weather  is  distinct  when  the  sky  is  serene.  The 
character  of  MORI  was  at  last  unveiled.  Wise  daimios 
baffled  his  underplots.  It  was  soon  known  at  Kioto  that 
MORI  was  not  even  so  much  as  a  skilled  impostor.  MORI, 
being  discouraged,  attempted  to  seize  the  person  of  the 
Mikado.  Kioto  was  burnt,  and  ten  thousands  and  tens 
of  thousands  of  families  shed  tears  on  account  of  the 
perversity  of  one  man.  In  this  very  case,  MORI  BAIZEN 
hypocritically  lied,  and  disowned  his  own  people  and 
their  actions. 

"  About  this  time,  foreigners,  being  fatigued  by  the 
hostile  aggressions  of  Choshiu,  so  repeatedly  renewed, 
and  very  much  wearied  with  our  clemency  towards  him, 
attacked  Shimonoseki,  in  spite  of  our  exertions  to  prevent 
them  from  going  to  the  Inland  Sea.  MORI  was  thus  a 
double  danger  to  the  Empire,  drawing,  as  it  were,  with 
his  own  hands,  calamities  upon  our  people,  both  from 
within  and  without,  and  trying  to  involve  us  in  serious 


352  YOUNO  JAPAN. 

difficulties    which    my  Government   alone    is   able  to 
appreciate. 

"The  punishment  of  MORI  was  therefore  resolved  upon. 
Powerful  daimios  and  hatamotos  started  up  at  our  invita- 
tion to  chastise  a  rebel.  It  is,  however,  very  difficult  to 
believe  in  the  radical  perversity  of  a  man,  and  our  OWABI 
and  the  other  chiefs  of  the  army  were  deceived  by  a 
feigned  repentance.  The  heads  of  certain  karoa — whom 
MORI  had  caused  to  be  beheaded,  because  they  could  no 
longer  help  him  in  his  aspiring  views,  were  sent  to  them 
with  the  express  promise  that  the  castles  of  Yamaguchi 
and  Hagi  should  be  destroyed ;  and  that  MORI,  father  and 
son,  would  come  to  Yedo,  to  hand  over  his  estates  to  my 
Government.  He  laughs  now  at  the  honesty  of  OWARI 
and  ETCHIZEN,  and  at  our  indulgence.  The  Mikado  and 
our  faithful  ones  are  urging  us  not  to  delay  any  longer  a 
chastisement  so  well  merited.  Therefore  we  would  be 
deficient  in  our  office,  should  we  not  proceed  to  inflict  at 
once  upon  a  rebel,  a  punishment  demanded  by  the  whole 
Empire.  , 

"When  GONGEN  decided  upon  a  war,  he  never  said 
beforehand  'I  shall  do  this,'  or  'I  shall  not  do  that.' 
It  is  also  the  principle  we  adhere  to ;  but  we  cannot  dis- 
cover at  present,  any  harbour  where  the  rebel  may  retire 
for  shelter  to  wait  until  'fair  weather  allows  his  naviga- 
ting the  open  sea. 

"The  10th  of  the  1st  year  of  Kayo." 

THE  TYCOON'S  PROCLAMATION  TO  THE  GOROJIU. 

"MoRi,  having  violated  the  greatest  of  our  laws — that 
which  is  the  base  of  the  Empire — viz.,  having  profaned 
and  burnt  the  capital,  Kioto,  having  set  at  naught  the 
authority  of  the  Government,  and  being  besides  guilty  of 
many  other  crimes  and  misdemeanours,  we  have  resolved 
to  punish  him,  as  a  lying  traitorous  rebel,  dangerous  to 
all  the  Empire,  ought  to  be  punished.  We  shall  leave  on 
the  16th  day  of  the  5th  month,  at  noon.  Everyone  in 
Yedo  must  continue  his  occupations.  The  Samurai  will 
do  his  duty  with  more  energy ;  the  Hiakusho  (peasant) 
should  fearlessly  work  in  the  fields ;  the  Cho-nin  and 
Shokunin,  (merchant  and  artisan),  all  shall  comport 
themselves  as  if  we  were  still  in  our  palace.  Those  who 
are  at  the  head  of  the  (Government  having  our  entire 
confidence,  must  see  that  our  will  is  conformed  to,  which 


THE  TYCOON  STARTS  FOE  OSAKA  BY  LAND.       858 

is,  that  peace  and  security  reign  over  all.  Yedo  and  all 
the  provinces  that  understand  the  duties  of  true  Japanese, 
are  happily  free  from  ronins.  Those  who  have  escaped 
the  sword  of  our  brave  SAYEMON-NO-JO  have  retired  to 
Choshiu  to  help  the  chief  of  the  rebels.  If  my  absence 
be  longer  than  last  year,  all  the  arrangements  must  con- 
tinue the  same.  It  is  customary  that,  in  the  absence  of 
the  Tycoon,  the  laws  be  more  rigid,  and  delinquents 
punished  more  severely ;  but  this  time,  to  prove  our 
goodwill  and  the  confidence  we  have  in  our  people,  we 
have  given  orders  to  our  Government  that  nothing  be 
changed.  This  is  a  new  proof  of  our  affection  for  all 
subjects  throughout  our  dominions. 

"To  be  communicated  to  the  Governors  of  the  city  of 
Yedo,  and  of  all  our  provinces  and  towns,  &c.,  &c." 

The  two  incidents  that  follow — the  starting  of  the 
Tycoon  for  the  west,  to  punish  the  Prince  of  Choshiu,  and 
the  call  upon  the  country  for  contributions  in  support  of 
the  expedition,  will  shew  in  a  vivid  manner  how  such 
things  were  managed  in  those  days.  Although  so  few 
years  have  sped,  I  shall  hereafter  have  to  describe  how 
vastly  different  things  are  now. 

The  Tycoon  passed  through  Kanagawa  in  the  early 
part  of  June,  on  his  way  to  Osaka.  In  compliance  with 
a  request  suggested  by  a  correspondent  of  the  Japan 
Herald,  and  made  by  the  British  Acting  Consul,  the 
Governor  of  Kanagawa  appropriated  a  plot  of  ground  near 
the  road,  from  whence  foreigners  might  view  the  proces- 
sion. It  was  the  first  time  such  a  concession  had  been 
made  to  foreigners,  and  was  doubly  gratifying,  from  the 
fact  that  the  requisite  permission  had  been  sought  from 
Yedo  and  granted ;  and  it  afforded  another  proof  of  the 
good  feeling  now  existing. 

It  was  only  notified  by  circular  in  the  morning ;  but 
from  nine  o'clock  A.M.,  until  2  P.M.,  there  was  a  continuous 
stream  of  foreigners  from  Yokohama  to  the  appointed 
spot.  Many  persons  made  a  regular  picnic  of  the 

VOL.    I  BR 


854  YOUNQ  JAPAN. 

occasion,  and  a  better  locality  could  hardly  have  been 
selected. 

It  was  on  a  small  knoll,  under  the  shadow  of  fine  um- 
brageous trees,  separated  from  the  Tolcaido  by  about 
fifty  yards,  at  a  spot  where  for  a  hundred  and  fifty  or 
two  hundred  yards,  there  was  a  cessation  of  the  build- 
ings, and,  consequently  an  uninterrupted  view. 

To  those  who  arrived  early  the  uncertainty  of  seeing 
anything,  and  the  idea  that  the  straggling  parties  of 
soldiers  and  baggage  carriers  might  be  all  that  was  to  be 
seen,  was  a  little  tiring — for  the  army  of  the  Tycoon 
inarched  very  differently  to  European  armies.  Fully 
accoutred  retainers  of  daimios  strolled  along,  apparently 
without  object — sometimes  in  twos  and  threes,  and  even 
sometimes  singly.  The  baggage  was  carried  by  coolies 
in  the  ordinary  manner  in  which  private  gentlemen  have 
their  personal  baggage  conveyed — but  except  that  the 
stream  was  a  little  more  continuous,  it  hardly  indicated 
anything  much  out  of  the  common. 

At  last,  however,  a  clearing  of  the  road  by  order  of  the 
vice-Governor  of  Kanagawa  himself,  who  arrived  on 
horseback,  put  everyone  on  the  qiti  rive.  It  was  a 
pleasant  incident,  too,  that  the  people  were  driven  away 
specially  from  such  positions  as  would  have  obstructed 
the  view  of  foreigners.  The  vice-Governor  then  dis- 
mounting, remained  near  us,  until  all  had  passed. 

About  two  o'clock,  a  distant  beating  of  drums  was  heard, 
and  shortly  afterwards,  the  vanguard  of  the  Tycoon's 
escort  came  in  sight.  There  were  two  drummers  in 
front,  who  were  immediately  followed  by  the  command- 
ing officer  of  the  Infantry  body-guard,  on  horseback. 

Nest  came  several  small  field  howitzers  drawn  by 
single  led  ponies. 

Then  followed  a  regiment  of  about  six  hundred  men, 
four  deep,  armed  with  Enfield  rifles  and  bayonets.  Their 


THE  TYCOON'S  APPEAL  FOR  MONEY.  355 

dress  was  a  curious  hybrid  between  Japanese  and  foreign. 
They  were  in  heavy  marching  order,  with  knapsacks, 
and  each  had  drinking  utensils,  &c.  These  men  marched 
with  the  greatest  regularity,  and  evinced  good  drilling  at 
least  to  that  extent. 

They  were  succeeded  by  another  regiment  preceded  by 
about  twenty  drums.  The  dress  and  arms  of  this  corps 
were  purely  Japanese — and  the  variety  of  colours  in 
their  tunics  presented  a  very  gay  appearance. 

The  immediate  body-guard  came  next,  preceded  by  a 
large  lacquered  box  containing  the  arms  of  the  Tycoon. 
To  this  box,  all  the  native  officials  and  spectators  kow- 
towed, as  in  duty  bound. 

The  cavalcade  was  ended  by  a  body  of  about  twenty 
richly  caparisoned  horsemen,  all  men  of  the  highest 
consideration :  and  in  the  midst  of  them  rode  the  Tycoon. 
He  was  pointed  out  as  a  young  man,  the  central  figure 
of  the  brilliant  group  :  his  surcoat  light  buff  embroidered 
with  gold,  with  a  large  mon  or  crest  on  the  back. 

The  enormons  expenses  the  Government  had  been  put 
to  by  the  frequent  movement  of  troops,  the  purchase  of 
steamers,  and  of  foreign  arms  and  ammunition,  quite 
exceeded  the  ordinary  revenue  at  its  disposal.  The  fol- 
lowing appeal  therefore  was  made  by  circular,  calling  for 
money  to  defray  the  charges  of  the  present  expedition. 

"  To  the  Head-men. 

"  For  some  years,  the  expense  of  protecting  the  coasts, 
and  also  of  repairing  and  building  the  Tycoon's  palaces ; 
besides  that  incurred  during  the  last  three  years — in 
which  the  Tycoon  has  been  twice  to  Kioto,  to  visit  the 
Mikado — has  been  very  great.  But  now  he  is  again 
about  to  leave  Yedo,  upon  an  expedition  requiring  more 
money  than  ever. 

"  Therefore— 

"  Let  it  be  known  in  Yedo,  Osaka  and  all  the  provinces 
belonging  to  the  Tycoon,  that  they  must  give  to  him  as 
much  as  they  can.  And  particularly  tell  the  merchants 


856  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

of  Yedo,  who  are  always  with  the  Tycoon,  and  whose 
presence  renders  their  business  more  safe,  and  very 
much  larger,  than  is  the  case  of  the  other  provinces  ;  and 
who,  although  they  so  profit  largely  by  him,  do  nothing 
for  him  in  return,  they  ought  to  contribute  a  portion  of 
the  profit  they  have  been  making  for  so  long  a  time. 

"  The  circumstances  are  now  different  to  those 
formerly  existing.  The  Tycoon  has  really  not  money  in 
anticipation  of  the  present  crisis.  So  inform  the 
merchants  and  shopkeepers  that  they  must  provide  as 
much  as  they  can.  And  order  the  head  men  (kocho)  to 
write  out  the  names  of  contributors  and  the  amounts 
they  give,  and  send  the  list  to  TACHI  CHINA.  It  is  to  be 
hoped  that  all  will  do  their  utmost ;  but  let  these  head- 
men know  that  if  they  do  not  exert  themselves  in 
persuading  all  to  give  liberally,  they  will  be  punished. 

"  The  money  shall  be  paid  back  in  ten  years  by 
instalments  of  so  much  a  year — or  so  much  a  month — 
from  next  year. 

"Let  this  be  explained  to  every  one." 

Many  circumstances  occurred  on  the  route,  to  prove 
that  the  innate  loyalty  of  the  samurai  to  their  chief  was 
on  this  occasion  put  to  a  severe  test.  Many  of 
the  retainers  of  the  Tycoon  would  gladly  have  been 
spared  the  necessity  of  attacking  Choshiu ;  but  none 
dared  to  stand  boldly  forward  and  say  so. 

At  Fujisawa,  Oiso  and  Odawara,  large  numbers  of  them 
pleaded  sickness  and  asked  to  be  allowed  to  return  to 
Yedo. 

MATSUDAIRA  IDZU-NO-KAMI,  the  member  of  Gorojiu 
told  them  they  were  not  fed,  housed  and  clothed,  by 
the  Tycoon  during  peace,  in  order  that  they  might  sit  at 
home  at  ease  in  times  of  trouble ;  but  that  they  might 
defend  and  maintain  the  rights  of  their  liege  lord  when 
assailed.  '  Let  then,'  said  he,  *  those  who  are  too  ill  to 
proceed,  go  and  be  examined  by  the  doctors  accompany- 
ing the  army ;  but  understand :  that  whilst  those  who 


PLOT  TO  ASSASSINATE  THE  TYCOON.  357 

are  really  unwell  shall  be  allowed  to  go,  any  who  are 
proved  to  be  shamming  shall  be  decapitated.'  The 
result  was  magical.  There  was  not  a  case  of  illness  in 
the  camp  after  that. 

A  letter  from  a  Colonel  of  Artilleiy  in  the  Tycoon's 
force  to  his  brother  in  Yedo  was  kindly  placed  in  my 
hands  a  few  days  later.  The  following  is  an  extract 
from  it : — 

"The  Tycoon's  army,  (his  own  retainers),  as  it 
left  Yedo,  consisted  of  70,000  men.  Of  this  number 
10,000  were  altogether  equipped  and  drilled  in  the 
European  style.  This  force,  say  the  best  judges,  is  the 
kernel  of  the  army,  and  that  on  which  the  Tycoon 
more  especially  reckons  for  the  final  success  of  the 
struggle,  if  it  really  conies  to  be  serious.  Then  there 
are  50,000  men  belonging  to  ten  very  powerful  daimios. 
These  latter  left  the  capital  some  days  before  those  of  the 
Tycoon;  and  among  them  are  some  few  companies — 
how  many  it  is  difficult  to  say — more  or  less  perfect  in 
foreign  tactics.  Thus  the  whole  force  amounts  to 
120,000  men." 

On  the  march  to  Osaka  the  Tycoon  narrowly  escaped 
imminent  peril.  The  daimio  HONDA  SHIZEN-NO-SHO  had 
planned  that  on  his  arrival  at  Dzeze,  the  chief  town  of 
Oom-i,  an  attempt  should  be  made  on  his  life.  The 
accounts  varied  greatly  as  to  the  manner  in  which  this 
was  to  be  carried  into  effect.  One  was,  that  the  daimio 
had  arranged  that  the  roof  of  the  house  in  which  he  lodged 
should  fall  in  and  crush  his  august  guest  and  all  who 
might  be  with  him.  Another  report  was  that  the  place 
was  to  have  been  undermined,  and  all  were  to  be  blown  up. 

But  whatever  the  means,  there  is  no  doubt  of  the 
fact;  for  a  well-known  official  in  Yedo,  SHIMONO 
TATSUGOBO,  chief  of  the  Fire  brigades,  was  executed  by 
being  transpierced  by  lances  while  lashed  to  a  wooden 
cross ;  his  crime  being  that  he  was  to  have  been  an 
active  agent  in  the  execution  of  the  plot. 


CHAPTEE  XXXII. 


EXCLUSIVELY  MUNICIPAL. 

I  WILL  now  devote  a  chapter  exclusively  to  Municipal 
affairs  in  Yokohama.  It  will  have  a  certain  interest 
for  those  who  have  been,  or  are,  residents ;  and 
perhaps  not  for  them  only.  It  is,  under  any  circum- 
stances called  for  by  the  fact  that  in  many  respects 
our  Municipality  acted  as  leaven  which  is  still  working 
actively  in  Japan. 

I  need  not  stop  to  describe  the  original  municipal 
institutions  of  this  remarkable  empire.  In  their  way  they 
were  wonderfully  perfect  and  effective  for  the  people  in 
the  old  state  of  society ;  but  they  were  not  suited  foi  the 
altered  conditions  tinder  the  new  regime.  They  have 
had  to  be  much  modified ;  and  this  has  been  done,  not 
by  clearing  them  away  root  and  branch,  but  by  judicious 
pruning,  and  by  grafting-in  sprigs  from  foreign  institu- 
tions. Thus  they  still  have  a  healthy  and  ever  im- 
proving system  in  the  government  of  their  cities,  towns 
and  villages. 


MUNICIPAL.  859 

As  instances,  the  Police  force  and  Sanitary  boards 
may  be  mentioned.  There  were  formerly  no  policemen, 
properly  so  called.  Now  the  organisation  of  this  force 
is  one  of  the  most  perfect  in  the  .world.  Its  nucleus  was 
certainly  that  about  to  be  mentioned,  as  established 
by  the  Municipal  Council  of  Yokohama. 

All  Japanese  cities  were  drained  according  to  the 
lights  they  possessed.  But  it  was  only  surface  drainage, 
and  very  primitive  indeed.  The  grading  of  the  roads 
and  their  construction  were  on  the  simplest  principles  ; 
and  the  question  of  health  hardly  entered  into  the  minds 
of  those  whose  duty  it  was  to  attend  to  these  things. 

But  the  operations  commenced  by  the  Eoad  and 
Sanitary  committees  of  Yokohama  produced  their  effect ; 
and  never  was  anything  more  advantageous  to  a  half- 
civilized  nation,  than  was  that  of  having  imposed  upon 
it,  for  its  credit's  sake,  the  necessity  of  continuing  the 
beneficial  work  of  these  committees. 

The  failure  of  former  municipal  attempts  has  been 
mentioned.  The  cause  was  a  simple  one — want  of 
means  to  carry  them  out.  It  was  hoped  that  if  the 
Japanese  Government  would  hand  over  a  good  slice  of 
what  they  received  from  the  land-rents,  a  very  much 
better  chance  of  success  existed ;  and  this  they  agreed 
to  do. 

That  municipal  institutions  could  flourish  in  the  far 
East  was  proved  by  the  example  of  Shanghai.  There 
similar  difficulties  had  existed  to  those  found  here  :  but 
they  were  surmounted  by  the  good  sense  and  unanimity 
of  the  people,  fostered  and  promoted  by  the  foreign  Con- 
sular board.  It  has  never  been  satisfactorily  explained 
why  the  same  powers  could  not  be  obtained  for  a  Council 
in  Yokohama  as  were  granted  to  Shanghai ;  but  nothing 
is  more  certain  than  that  they  were  not ;  and  that  the 
condition  of  the  two  places  has  always  therefore  formed 


860  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

a  marked  contrast.  Shanghai  is  justly  termed  a  model 
settlement.  It  is  a  small  well-governed  republic,  of  which 
its  residents  are  justly  proud.  Yokohama  is  the  very 
reverse;  and  it  seems  inconceivable  that  the  foreign 
settlement,  with  its  fine  houses,  its  excellent  society,  and 
its  wealth  as  compared  with  the  native  settlement,  is  in 
darkness  at  night  whilst  the  Japanese  town  is  brilliantly 
lighted  with  gas. 

Early  in  the  year  1865,  a  great  effort  was  made  to 
establish  the  municipality  on  a  firm  and  solid  basis. 
The  Japanese  authorities  consented  to  give  up  twenty  per 
cent,  of  the  money  received  from  land-rents  and  the 
Consuls  consented  to  hand  over  to  the  Council  all  license- 
fees  and  fines,  and  to  delegate  to  them  certain  powers 
(which  it  was  thought  they  had  a  right  to  do),  that 
seemed  likely  to  aid  them  materially  in  successfully  work- 
ing the  much  desired  institution. 

In  strict  right  the  Japanese  ought  to  have  done  most 
of  the  work  the  Council  was  required  for,  according  to  the 
very  terms  of  the  land  regulations.  But  their  ideas  of 
road-making,  draining  and  policing,  differed  widely  from 
those  of  foreigners.  It  was,  therefore,  a  relief  to  them  to 
have  these  duties  taken  off  their  hands.  They  were 
quite  willing  to  give  any  authority  that  they  possessed 
over  to  the  Council,  and  it  would  have  been  well  if  this 
had  been  availed  of ;  and,  better  still  if  they  would  have 
given  up  one  half  instead  of  one  fifth  of  the  land-rents. 

At  a  public  meeting  of  the  land-renters,  held  on  the 
7th  March,  which  was  very  largely  attended,  Mr.  KINGDON, 
who  had  always  been  one  of  the  most  zealous  advocates 
for  municipal  self-government,  and  an  active  worker  in 
improving  the  sanitary  condition  of  the  settlement, 
occupied  the  Chair.  Several  previous  meetings  had  been 
held,  at  which  he  had  also  presided.  His  opening  address 
on  this  occasion,  well  described  what  had  previously  been 


MUNICIPAL.  361 

done,  and  how  the  wishes  of  the  community  had  been 
thwarted.  He  said : — 

"  It  will  be  remembered  that  at  the  first  general  meet- 
ing of  the  land-renters  held  on  the  10th  December  1864, 
it  was  decided  that  a  certain  number  of  delegates  should 
be  appointed  by  each  nationality,  proportionately  to  the 
number  of  tsubos  held  by  them.  Delegates  were  elected 
by  all  the  nationalities  except  the  American,  and  they 
met ;  but  in  consequence  of  the  misunderstanding  which 
had  prevented  the  American  citizens  from  appointing 
their  delegates  as  others  had  done,  it  was  felt  by  the 
other  delegates  that  they  could  not  proceed  to  business. 
At  the  same  meeting  a  letter  was  received  from  Colonel 
FISHER,  the  U.  S.  Consul,  informing  the  delegates  that 
Mr.  BLYDENBUBGH  had  been  duly  elected  the  committee- 
man  by  the  American  citizens,  and  upon  this  letter  being 
before  them  it  had  been  decided  to  address  the  American 
Consul  to  the  effect  that  the  delegates  had  not  assembled 
then  to  elect  committee-men,  inasmuch  as  the  late  resolu- 
tion of  the  Consuls  as  to  the  formation  of  a  Municipal 
Council  could  not  be  acted  upon  by  the  community, 
and  that  in  consequence  of  no  American  delegates  having 
been  elected,  no  discussion  on  the  method  of  forming  a 
Municipal  Council  had  been  entered  on.  He  had  there- 
fore addressed  a  letter  to  Colonel  FISHER  to  this  effect  ; 
but  to  that  letter  no  reply  had  been  received.  Another 
meeting  was  held  on  the  20th  February,  when  a  deputa- 
tion was  appointed  to  wait  upon  the  Consuls,  to  explain 
the  views  of  the  community,  to  ascertain  the  intention 
of  the  Consuls,  and  to  endeavour  to  obtain  a  withdrawal 
of  then:  decision  upon  the  method  of  forming  a  Municipal 
Council.  In  compliance  with  this  resolution,  Mr.  PIQUET, 
Mr.  BEUYN,  Mr.  GRAUERT  and  himself  had  met  the  Consuls 
by  appointment  a  few  days  before,  but  the  result  was 
not  satisfactory ;  for  it  was  then  understood  that  on  its 
appearing  to  the  Consuls  that  their  decision  was  not 
generally  concurred  in,  the  others  were  willing  to  cede  their 
opinions  to  that  of  the  community ;  but  the  American 
Consul  thought  that  inasmuch  as,  on  his  recommendation, 
a  committee-man  had  been  elected,  he  could  not,  consider- 
ing his  own  dignity  and  that  of  his  people,  allow  that 
election  to  remain  unheeded.  It  was  well  understood  that 
if  a  Council  were  formed,  it  must  partake  of  the  national 

YOL.  i  88 


362  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

character,  because  the  Consuls  would  not,  or  could  not, 
yield  the  resolution  he  had  alluded  to,  so  long  as  it  was 
insisted  against  by  one  of  their  body.  He  would  urge  upon 
the  meeting  the  daily  increasing  necessity  for  pushing 
forward  the  formation  of  a  Municipal  Committee,  as — 
one  additional  reason — if  this  were  not  done  there  would 
be  no  means  of  checking  the  number  of  Chinese  con- 
tinually coming  here,  and  of  regulating  their  conduct." 

In  the  discussion  that  ensued,  Mr.ScHOYEB  (American) 
said,  that 

"  He  had  formerly  differed  altogether  from  his  friend 
Mr.  HALL,  in  the  opinion  that  a  Municipal  Council  could 
not  be  made  to  work ;  but  he  had  since  gone  into  a 
minute  calculation  on  the  subject,  and  was  partly  inclined 
to  reverse  his  former  opinion.  It  appeared  that  the 
present  income,  besides  money  in  hand  would  be  $6,000 
per  annum,  which  would  do  little  more  than  keep  the 
drains  in  order,  and  light  the  place.  A  police  would  be 
very  expensive.  Were  the  land-renters  willing  to  submit 
to  a  tax  of  one  eighth  per  cent,  on  imports  and  exports, 
and  to  a  land  tax?  If  this  were  answered  in  the 
affirmative,  then  a  Municipal  Council  might  belSet  going; 
if  in  the  negative  it  would  be  a  farce." 

Mr.  KINGDON  replied  :  — 

"  Mr.  SCHOYEB  has  omitted  one  very  important  item  of 
income  : — the  $12  a  month  paid  for  the  licenses  of  the 
grog-shops.  At  present  we  had  a  constabulary  in  the 
settlement.  It  was  true  it  is  a  very  small  one  ;  but  it  is 
entirely  supported  by  that  Consul  who  had  the  least 
authority  over,  or  income  from,  the  grog-shops.  The 
British  Consul  received  only  $74  a  month  from  this 
source  ;  yet  out  of  this  he  kept  up  the  only  constabulary 
we  had." 

These  few  extracts  will  shew  pretty  clearly  the  state 
of  affairs.  It  may  be  mentioned  with  reference  to  the 
Chinese,  that  the  reason  for  the  feeling  that  had  sprung 
up  with  regard  to  them,  was  not  that  which  actuates 
their  opponents  in  the  United  States.  No  one  feared  to 
suffer  by  their  competition ;  and  had  none  but  the 
more  respectable  classes  come,  there  would  have  been 


MUNICIPAL.  363 

but  little  objection  to  them.  The  lower  orders,  however, 
flocked  over  in  great  numbers ;  the  quarters  of  the 
foreign  settlement  that  they  quickly  tilled  became  an 
eye-sore  from  the  filth  in  which  they  lived ;  and  it  was 
feared  that  it  would  become  a  hot-bed  of  disease  and  the 
source  of  some  dire  epidemic,  unless  some  control  were 
exercised  over  it.  The  Chinese  had  no  treaty,  and 
consequently  no  Consul ;  and  they  were  under  no 
authority  but  the  Japanese,  who  left  them  very  much  to 
themselves. 

There  was  yet  another  objection  made  to  them. 
They  were  suspected  of  supplying  the  thieves  who  had 
latterly  committed  numerous  depredations  in  the  settle- 
ment ;  and  they  certainly  had  many  gambling  dens 
opened.  So  that  they  were  very  undesirable  neighbours 
in  a  variety  of  wrays. 

At  the  meeting  alluded  to,  the  delegates  having  resigned, 
Mr.  PIQUET  (French)  said  that : — 

"  Although,  having  but  little  money  at  command,  we 
might  perhaps  be  able  to  do  only  a  little  good,  yet  we 
should  endeavour  to  do  all  we  could.  He  had  therefore 
prepared  the  rough  draught  of  a  scheme  which  he  would 
like  to  be  considered. 

It  was  as  follows  : — 

"  Whereas  it  has  been  agreed  in  the  General  Meeting 
of  land-renters,  on  the  10th  December  1864,  that  the 
Municipal  affairs  of  this  settlement  should  be  managed 
by  one  general  Municipal  Council : 

"  Whereas  the  Municipal  right  is  generally  derived 
from  property : 

"  Whereas  each  nationality  represented  in  this  settle- 
ment is  entitled  to  participate  in  the  Municipal  right  in 
proportion  to  the  importance  of  its  property  : 

"  Whereas  the  respective  property  of  each  nationality 
consists  of  the  following  number  of  tsuboes. 

English    44,839 

American 19,550 

French 13,205 


864  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

Prussians 7,591 

Dutch  8,008 

Portuguese 3,139 

Swiss    872 

"  Whereas  it  is  desirable  that  municipal  regulations 
and  taxes  be  voted  by  a  large  representation  of  land- 
renters  ;  and  it  is  important  for  the  proper  management 
of  business  that  the  executive  power  of  the  municipality 
be  vested  in  a  small  number  of  persons. 

"  Whereas  the  municipal  authority  can  only  be 
enforced  by  the  sanction  of  either  the  Japanese  Govern- 
ment or  the  Consular  board  : — 

"  It  is  proposed — 

1. — "  That  the  General  Municipal  Council  of  Yoko- 
hama be  composed  for  a  term  of  one  year,  of 

11     English. 

5     Americans. 

4     French. 

2     Dutch. 

2     Prussians. 

1     Portuguese. 

1     Swiss. 

26     in  all. 

2. — "That  the  said  Municipal  Council  elect  for  what- 
ever period  of  time  they  may  think  advisable,  an  execu- 
tive Committee  of  three  to  five  persons  chosen  among 
those  of  their  own  members  whom  they  judge  best 
qualified  for  that  position. 

3. — "That  the  Municipal  regulations  and  taxes  be 
voted  by  a  majority  of  the  General  Municipal  Council. 

4. — "That  the  executive  Committee  give  the  Municipal 
Council  a  quarterly  account  of  their  management  of  the 
Municipal  funds,  and,  in  the  case  of  their  not  being 
supported  by  a  majority  of  the  Council,  they  resign 
their  commission. 

5. — "That  the  above  preliminary  steps  to  the  con- 
stitution of  a  Municipality  be  submitted  for  approval  to 
the  Consular  board." 

This  scheme,  although  it  had  one  or  two  objectionable 
features,  commended  itself  generally  to  the  good  sense 


MUNICIPAL.  365 

of  the  meeting ;  and  it  was  agreed  to  consider  it  clause 
by  clause.  The  result  was  that  after  a  few  emendations 
it  was  passed  in  the  following  shape  : — 

1. — As  above. 

2. — "  That  the  Council  be  authorised  to  form  a  code 
of  rules  and  regulations  for  the  Government  of  the 
settlement." 

3. — "  That  the  Council  be  empowered  to  appoint  an 
executive  committee  of  not  less  than  three  of  their 
number  to  superintend  the  execution  of  the  Municipal 
ordinances." 

4. — "  That  Municipal  regulations  shall  be  voted  by  a 
majority  of  the  General  Municipal  Committee. 

5. — "That  the  Municipal  Council  shall  publish  a 
quarterly  account  of  the  expenditure  of  the  Municipal 
funds."  ' 

6. — "  That  Mr.  PIQUET  and  ME.  SCHOYER  be  deputed 
to  inform  the  Consuls  of  the  proceedings  at  this  meeting, 
and  to  request  them  to  proceed  to  elect  the  members  of 
the  Council  from  their  respective  nationalities." 

There  now  appeared  to  be  ground  for  hoping  that  some 
sort  of  organisation  for  the  good  government  of  the 
settlement,  would  be  effected.  Although  all  that  was 
desired  was  not  to  be  attained,  yet  there  seemed  a 
probability  of  securing  all  that  could  be  reasonably 
looked  for.  Some  doubts  were  entertained  as  to  the 
Consuls  legally  delegating  certain  of  their  powers. 
As  to  taxing  and  rate  levying  that  was  evidently  im- 
possible— for  they  did  not  possess  such  powers  them- 
selves. Anything  of  this  kind  must  necessarily  be 
voluntary  on  the  part  of  the  residents ;  and  unanimity  on 
such  a  subject  was  not  likely  to  be  realised.  Nine- 
tenths  of  the  community  might  gladly  submit  to  a  small 
taxation  to  secure  the  advantages  of  good  municipal 
government,  but  the  action  of  the  remaining  one-tenth 
would  upset  the  whole.  However,  to  the  broad  principles 
of  the  present  scheme  all  present  gave  their  votes 
unanimously ;  and  it  remained  to  be  seen  whether  any 


866  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

powers  could  be  obtained  by  any  means,  for  general 
taxation  ;  and  how  far  the  land-renters  would  allow  them- 
selves to  be  bound,  for  the  general  good,  by  the  decisions 
of  a  majority. 

The  result  of  an  interview  with  the  Consuls  was 
favourable ;  and  the  election  of  members  was  proceeded 
Avith.  The  gentlemen  chosen  were  : — 

English — Messrs.    MACPHERSON,     BARBER,    WILLGOSS, 

MACDONALD,    IVEMPTNER,  KlNGDON,  I.    J.    MlLLER,    CoRNES, 

HOPE,  JOSEPH,  ELIAS  ; — but  Messrs.  MACPHERSON  and 
HOPE  declining  to  serve,  Messrs.  EICKERBY  and  G.  R. 
DAVIES  were  elected. 

American — Dr.  HEPBURN,  Messrs.  SCHOYER,  SCHULTZE, 
GAY,  BENSON. 

French — Messrs.  LEJEUNE,  PIQUET,  DEVEZE,  CLIPET. 

Prussian — Messrs.  GRAUERT,  SCHNEPEL. 

Swiss — Mr.  H.  MORF. 

Dutch — Messrs.  BRUYN  and  HEGT. 

The  Portuguese  did  not  elect  any  member. 

All  being  thus  completed,  the  first  meeting  of  the  new 
Municipal  Council  of  Yokohama  was  held  in  H.B.M.'s 
Consular  Court  room  on  the  9th  June  1865.  There  were 
21  members  present.  Mr.  SCHOYER  was  called  to  the 
chair,  and  Mr.  KINGDON  acted  as  secretary. 

The  Committee  that  had  been  appointed  to  frame  an 
organization,  brought  up  its  report.  Its  propositions 
were  entertained  separately — as  follows  : — 

1. — "That  there  should  be  a  permanent  Chairman. — 
Carried. 

A  permanent  Secretary. — Carried. 

2. — "That  there  should  be  a  Finance  Committee 
consisting  of  the  Chairman  and  Secretary  and  that  the 
duties  of  this  Committee  should  be: — To  collect  from  the 
Consuls  and  all  other  sources  the  funds  accruing  to  the 
Municipal  Council ;  for  the  disbursement  of  which  the 
signatures  of  both  members  of  the  Committee  should  be 
necessary. — Carried. 

That  the  funds  of  the  Council  shall  be  deposited 


MUNICIPAL.  367 

in  a  chartered  Bank  by  the  Financial  Committee  in  trust 
for  the  M.  C.— Carried. 

The  Bank  to  be  selected  by  ballot. — Carried. 

8. — "That  there  ought  to  be  a  Police  Committee, 
consisting  of  three  members  of  the  Municipal  Council, 
whose  duties  should  be: — To  organize  a  constabulary 
force,  and  to  carry  into  execution  such  laws  and 
regulations  as  might  be  adopted  by  the  Council. — 
Carried. 

4. — "That  there  ought  to  be  a  Sanitary  and  Road 
Committee,  whose  duty  would  be  : — To  put  and  keep  in 
repair  all  the  streets,  roads  and  drains  in  the  settlement, 
and  to  carry  out  such  works  for  the  sanitary  improve- 
ment of  the  settlement  as  might  be  authorized  by  the 
M.  C.— Carried. 

5. — "That  both  the  these  Committees  should  propose 
such  expenditure  of  monies,  and  should  suggest  to  the 
Council  such  laws  and  regulations  as  they  might  consider 
necessary  for  the  proper  administration  of  their  respec- 
tive departments. — Carried. 

6. — "That  the  power  of  granting  licenses  should 
remain  with  the  M.  C.,  and  not  with  any  special 
committees. — Carried. 

7. — "That  all  elections  for  offices  and  for  the  Com- 
mittees should  be  made  by  ballot. — Carried. 

8. — "That  a  regular  meeting  should  be  held  on  the 
first  Tuesday  of  every  month,  in  order  to  receive  the 
reports  of  the  different  committees,  and  to  transact  all 
necessary  business. 

Amendment  proposed: — 

"  That  there  shall  be  a  general  meeting  called  by  the 
Chairman  during  the  first  seven  days  of  every  month.— 
Amendment  carried. 

9. — "That  no  meeting  of  the  Council  should  be 
considered  valid,  unless  attended  by  13  members  of  the 
Municipal  body  ;  the  majority  of  whom  would  be  sufficient 
to  carry  any  measures. — Carried. 

10. — "That  the  minutes  of  all  the  meetings  should  be 
published  in  one  of  the  local  papers,  provided  that  there 
be  no  expense  incurred. — Carried. 

Mr.  SCHOYER  was  elected  Chairman. 

Mr.  BICKERBY  offered  to  act  as  Hon.  Sec. — Accepted. 

Police  Committee  elected: — PIQUET,  GAY  and  BRUYN, 


368  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

Sanitary  Committee: — KINGDON,  CLIPET,  HEPBURN, 
BENSON  and  MAO!)ONALD. 

It  was  agreed  that  all  meetings  be  regulated  by 
parliamentary  rules. 

Carried,  that  a  Committee  be  appointed  to  inform  the 
Consuls  of  the  organisation  of  the  Council  as  well  as  that 
the  Finance  committee  has  power  to  receive  funds  from 
their  hands  ;  and  moreover  to  ascertain  the  amount  of 
funds  at  the  disposal  of  the  Municipal  board. 

Finance  Committee  elected: — PIQUET, KEMPTNEE,  BRUYN, 
MORF,  HEPBURN,  GRAUERT. 

At  a  meeting  on  the  10th  June,  22  members  being 
present,  Messrs.  PIQUET,  MILLER,  KINGDON,  GAY,  and 
HEPBURN  were  appointed  a  Committee  "to  report  on  the 
best  way  of  bringing  the  Municipality  into  working  order." 

At  a  Meeting  on  the  7th  July — 20  members  present. 

Mr.  SCHOYER  made  a  statement  as  to  the  resources  and 
requirements  of  the  Municipality. 

"Money  received  from  Consuls — over  $10,000. 

"  In  addition  there  is  a  monthly  income  of  $300  from 
licenses :  to  which  are  to  be  added  the  sums  collected  from 
fines. 

"  Current  year's  income  will  probably  be — 

From  Landrents    6,000.00 

„      Licenses  and  fines 4,000.00 

, ,      Surplus  of  former  years 4,000.00 


Total  for  year  ending  June  1866  $14,000.00 


"  Next  year  wiU  not  materially  differ,  as  new  Swamp 
land-rents  will  come  in. 

"A  large  portion  of  this  sum  will  be  expended  in  pay- 
ment of  Japanese  labour.  The  Council  must  determine 
how  to  obtain  Ichibu  exchange  to  aid  in  these  payments. 

"The  20  per  ccni.  of  the  land-rents  is  entirely  in- 
adequate. It  was  clearly  the  duty  of  the  Japanese  to 
have  sewered,  graded  and  cleansed  the  settlement.  They 
should  now  place  at  our  disposal  the  means  to  .carry  out 
these  objects." 

The  following  is  an  extract  from  the  Eeport  of  the 
Police  Committee :— ' 


MUNICIPAL  869 

"  It  is  understood  that  the  Commander  of  H.  B.  M.'s 
troops  stationed  here,  will  allow  the  present  constabulary 
force  at  the  British  Consulate  to  be  kept  up,  and  a  like 
force  will  be  established  at  the  French  Consulate.  The 
respective  Consuls  of  the  nationalities  just  named,  have 
kindly  offered  to  give  their  constable  instructions  to 
patrol  the  streets,  and  to  arrest  offenders  against  the 
ordinances  of  the  Council,  and  generally  to  preserve 
order  in  the  settlement. 

"  Your  Committee  then  propose  to  appoint  a,  superin- 
tendent and  three  sergeants,  who,  together  with  the 
Consular  Constables,  will  compose  a  sufficient  force  for 
present  purposes. 

"  The  estimated  expense  of  the  organization  is  about 
$470  a  month.  *  *  *  * 

"  The  present  scheme  will  remain  effective  only  so 
long  as  men  from  the  foreign  regiments  are  available, 
and  the  Council  must  be  prepared  at  any  time  for  their 
withdrawal." 

The  first  ordinance  of  the  Municipal  Council  was 
regarding  dogs  running  dangerously  at  large.  These 
had  been  for  years  a  great  nuisance  and  annoyance  to 
the  public.  At  least  one  fine  bojr,  a  son  of  Mr.  J.  C. 
JAQUEMOT,  had  fallen  a  victim  to  hydrophobia  from 
having  been  bitten  by  a  rabid  dog.  So  that  as  the  hot 
weather  approached  this  was  a  very  important  matter. 

The  next  ordinance  forbade  the  slaughtering  of 
animals  (intended  for  food)  within  the  Foreign  Settle- 
ment of  Yokohama. 

The  third  forbade  the  storing  of  explosive  substances 
within  the  settlement ;  and  as  Mr.  HEGT  had  a  hulk,  the 
Nassau,  moored  in  a  safe  position  in  the  harbour, 
specially  for  such  purpose,  this  was  a  boon  to  all,  and  an 
inconvenience  to  none. 

Shambles  for  the  slaughter  of  animals  for  food,  were  pro- 
vided at  Homoco,  on  the  sea-shore,  a  most  convenient  site 
about  a  mile  from  the  settlement  by  land  and  less  by  water. 

Mr.  JAMES  ARMSTRONG,  Sergeant  of  H.  B.  M's. 
Commisariat  department,  received  the  appointment  of 

VOL.  i  TT 


870  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

Superintendent  of  Police  at  a  salary  of  $80  a  month ; 
but  through  ill-health  he  was  obliged  to  resign,  and 
Mr.  GEORGE  T.  JURY  was  appointed  in  his  stead. 

It  was  resolved  to  have  nothing  to  do  with  Ichibu 
exchange. 

But  the  Municipality  which  had  thus  started  so 
spiritedly  began  soon  to  shew  symptoms  of  flagging. 
The  July  meeting  had  but  fourteen  members  present — just 
one  more  than  sufficed  to  make  a  quorum ;  the  August 
meeting,  though  specially  convened  by  the  chairman, 
according  to  the  rule,  saw  but  eight  put  in  an  appearance 
— so  no  business  could  be  done.  It  must  be  confessed, 
however,  that  it  was  an  ill-chosen  day,  being  a  field  day 
of  the  XXth  Regiment ;  and  in  such  communities  these 
occasions  engage  the  attentions  of  all,  to  the  exclusion  of 
everything  that  is  not  actually  imperative. 

But  another  fact  began  to  be  apparent.  There  was 
evidently  a  design  in  the  minds  of  some  of  the  members 
to  organise  an  opposition,  simply  with  the  view  of  pro- 
viding full  discussion  of  every  proposal  that  came  before 
the  Council.  It  was  thought  that  there  might  be  too 
much  unanimity ;  and  that  measures  ran  the  risk  of 
being  passed  without  due  consideration.  The  intention 
was  good ;  but  it  seemed  a  pity  to  impart  so  "  porochial  " 
an  appearance  into  the  little  band  of  twenty-five  excel- 
lent and  practical  gentlemen,  who  already  had  their 
work  cut  out  to  spare  time  from  their  business  avoca- 
tions to  attend  to  the  duties  imposed  upon  them. 

But  there  was  yet  another  difficulty  that  presented  it- 
self in  a  shape  as  unexpected  as  it  was  unsatisfactory. 
The  Council  had  received  certain  authority  from  the 
Consuls.  Or,  as  the  Chairman  put  it  to  a  meeting 
specially  called  to  take  the  matter  about  to  be  recorded, 
into  consideration: — "  At  present  we  have  a  charter  from 
the  Consuls.  And,"  he  continued,  "  we  proceed  to  make 


MUNICIPAL.  371 

ordinances  in  accordance  with  the  terms  of  that  charter, 
and  on  passing  them  to  the  Consuls  for  their  ratification, 
find  them  altered,  and  published  as  the  acts  of  the 
Municipality  in  direct  opposition  to  the  meaning  and  in- 
tention of  the  board.  He  had  good  reasons  for  believing 
that  the  British,  the  French  and  the  American  Consuls, 
were  willing  to  do  all  they  could  to  give  effect  to  the 
ordinances  of  the  Council — but  the  other  Consuls,  re- 
presenting but  a  small  portion,  comparatively  speaking, 
of  the  community,  opposed  and  caused  the  alteration  and 
publication  of  one  of  the  ordinances." 

The  fact  was,  that  the  Board  of  Consuls  did  alter  the 
very  first  ordinance  of  the  Council — the  "  Dog  ordinance." 
By  the  charter  they  evidently  had  a  perfect  right  to  do 
so ;  but  it  was  thought  that  at  least  they  should  have 
sent  it  back  to  the  Council  for  reconsideration.  It  hap- 
pened that  the  shape  in  which  they  published  it  was  one 
that  had  been  discussed  in  the  Council,  and  negatived 
by  a  majority  of  11  to  3.  This  therefore  was  a  very 
serious  matter.  It  was  proposed  to  call  a  meeting  of 
land-renters,  and  take  their  views  on  the  subject ;  but 
this  was  opposed,  as  likely  to  lead  to  the  stoppage  of  the 
Council  altogether.  It  was  finally  agreed  that  a  deputa- 
tion should  be  appointed  to  meet  the  Consuls,  and 
remonstrate  with  them  on  their  having  altered  and  passed 
as  edicts,  certain  ordinances  agreed  to  by  the  majority 
of  the  Municipal  body  elected  by  the  land-renters  of 
Yokohama.  But  this  had  very  little  effect. 

A  meeting  of  land-renters  was  eventually  called,  and  was 
largely  attended.  It  was  held  in  the  Court  room  of  the 
British  Consulate  on  Monday  the  21st  August ;  and  Mr. 
F.  HALL  (WALSH,  HALL  &  Co.)  was  called  to  the  chair. 

Mr.  SCHOYER  stated  the  objects  of  the  meeting.  He 
was  very  animated  in  the  delivery  of  his  speech,  and,  as 
they  were  the  last  words  he  ever  uttered,  my  readers  will 


872  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

bear  with  me  if  I  give  his  final  peroration.     He  said  :— 

"If  we  have  no  power  to  conduct  the  affairs  of  the 
settlement  what  is  our  position  ?  I  deny  in  toto  that  we 
have  no  power.  We  have  full  power  over  every  indecent 
act  although  no  power  to  punish."  "But"  he  added 
with  increasing  warmth,  "  we  will  remove  them,  Sir,  and 
take  the  responsibility.  If  Japanese  are  found,  obscene  or 
endangering  the  lives  of  others,  the  Municipal  Police 
shall  arrest  them  and  take  them  to  the  Consuls,  or,  if 
they  prefer  it,  to  the  Japanese  authorities  themselves. 
Why  should  Consuls  tell  us  that  which  a  child  might 
say  ?  It  is  mere  school-boy  talk.  Our  very  nature 
gives  the  right,  and  it  is  sheer  folly  to  talk  in  such 
a  manner.  Ladies,  within  the  last  ten  days,  have  been 
insulted :  and  their  lives  endangered  by  bettoes  furiously 
riding ;  and  I  say  it  shall  be  put  down.  Obscenity  to  be 
tolerated  ?  And  in  places  too,  where  ladies  are  promenad- 
ing with  their  children  ?  The  very  notion  is  absurd ! 
and  for  any  Consul  to  say  that  we  cannot  prevent  it,  is  a 
gross  insult  to  our  common  sense."  (The  Consuls  had 
refused  to  sanction  an  ordinance  on  this  subject  also.) 

Mr.  SCHOYER  resumed  his  seat,  and  Mr.  KINGDON 
rose  to  reply — when  the  meeting  was  startled  by  Mr. 
SCHOYEE  apparently  fainting.  Great  excitement  na- 
turally arose — Dr.  HEPBUBN  immediately  presented 
himself  to  give  the  benefit  of  his  medical  skill,  and 
all  eager  to  do  what  they  could — but  it  was  of  no  avail. 
In  a  few  minutes  it  was  apparent  that  EAPHAEL  SCHOYER 
— was  dead. 

Mr.  A.  0.  GAY  (American)  was  elected  Chairman, — and 
Mr.  J.  ALLMAND  JUNIOR  was  elected  member  of  the 
Council,  in  place  of  Mr.  SCHOYER. 

The  land-renters  passed  a  vote  of  confidence  in  the 
Council,  and  encouraged  them  to  go  on  and  do  their  best 
for  the  welfare  of  the  community.  It  was  therefore  resolved 
to  send  a  deputation  to  the  Consuls,  to  "  complain  of  the 
infringements  of  the  charter  granted  to  the  Municipal 
Council,  and  requesting  a  fuller  definition  of  the  powers 
delegated,  so  that  no  such  difficulties  might  arise  in  the 
future," 


MUNICIPAL.  873 

It  was  suggested  that  if  the  Consuls  had  no  powers 
that  they  could  delegate  to  the  Council,  they  should  be 
asked  to  apply  to  their  respective  governments  on  hehalf 
of  the  Municipality.  But  this  was  not  done. 

The  explanations  that  took  place  between  the  delegates 
and  the  Consuls  were  satisfactory :  and  thus  ended  a  very 
unpleasant  business,  that  seemed  at  one  time  likely  to 
cut  short  the  thread  of  the  Council's  existence. 

Subjoined  is  a  copy  of  the  charter  granted  by  the 
Consuls  to  the  Council : — 

CHAETEE. 

"Bef erring  to  the  minutes  of  a  meeting  of  the  Consular 
body  and  the  delegates  of  the  community,  held  at  the 
French  Consulate  8th  May  1865,  copy  of  which  is 
attached  hereto,  which  resulted  in  the  election  of  twenty- 
six  members,  as  therein  proposed,  the  Consuls,  in  order 
that  there  shall  be  a  clear  understanding  of  the  powers 
delegated  by  them,  enter  in  to  the  following  arrangement 
with  the  delegates  representing  the  community. 

1st. — "That  the  Council  shall  have  the  whole  charge 
of  Superintendence  of  roads,  streets  and  drains,  and 
power  to  make  all  necessary  Eegulations  for  Sanitary 
purposes,  and  to  organise  and  maintain  a  Police  force,  and 
to  form  Eules  and  Eegulations  for  the  good  order  of  their 
own  proceedings  and  discussions  ;  and  to  propose  for  the 
necessary  sanction  of  the  several  Consuls,  all  Municipal 
Eegulations  either  with  respect  to  foreigners  or  Japanese 
which  it  may  be  desirable  to  enforce. 

2nd. — "  That  the  Council  shall  appoint  the  time  for 
the  annual  election  of  Council-men. 

3rd. — "That  the  Council  are  to  have  the  exclusive 
power  to  great  licenses  for  Public-houses,  or  such  other 
purposes  as  they  shall  deem  necessary :  and  the  fees 
arising  from  such  shall  be  collected  by  them  for 
Municipal  purposes.  It  is  understood  that  this  shall 
not  interfere  with  the  licenses  previously  granted  by  the 
Consuls,  or  either  of  them,  and  which  are  now  in  force, 
but  that  these  shall  not  be  renewed  by  the  Consuls  after 
expiration  of  their  present  term. 


374  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

4th. — "That  all  regulations  framed  by  such  Council 
for  the  repair  and  keeping  in  order  of  streets,  drains  and 
roads,  and,  in  fact,  all  the  votes  for  the  expenditure  of 
funds  at  its  command,  shall  not  require  to  be  submitted 
to  the  approval  of  the  Consuls. 

5th. — "That  Kegulations  involving  Police  fines  arid 
taxes  must  be  submitted  to  the  Consuls,  as  by  their 
means  alone  such  regulations  can  be  enforced. 

6th. — "That  the  Consuls  will  hand  over  yearly  to  the 
Council,  all  monies  reserved,  or  to  be  reserved  from  the 
land-rent  due  to  the  Japanese  Government,  understood 
now  to  be  20  per  cent.,  as  well  as  the  funds  previously 
reserved,  and  now  in  their  possession,  for  the  past  year. 

(Signed  in  duplicate),  MARCUS  FLOWERS, 

H.B.M:*  Act.  Consul 

,,  P.  CHEVREU  EAMEAU, 

H.LM:S  consul. 

,,  GEO.  S.  FISHER, 

U.S.  Consul. 

G.  F.  PLATE, 

H.N.M.'s  Consul. 
„  VON  BRANDT, 

H.P.M.'s  Consul. 

„  E.  LlNDAU, 

Su'iss  Consul. 

„  N.  P.  KINGDON, 

H.M.F.M.'s  Act.  Consul. 

But  though  the  difficulty  with  the  Consuls  was  thus 
satisfactorily  got  over,  others  had  to  be  faced,  that  re- 
quired all  the  patient  thoughtfulness  and  energetic 
resolution  that  could  be  brought  to  bear  upon  them. 

The  principal  of  these  was  the  shortness  of  funds  ;  and 
how  to  raise  the  money  sufficient  for  all  that  it  was 
declared  necessary  to  undertake.  The  fixed  income  for 
the  year  was  exactly  known,  and  it  was  found  to  be  in- 
sufficient by  one  half  for  the  works  proposed.  There  was 
but  one  method  by  which  more  could  be  raised  ;  and  that 
was  by  levying  some  tax  or  rates  upon  the  community ; 


MUNICIPAL.  875 

but  this  could  not  be  done  without  their  consent.  It  was 
also  seen  that  in  order  to  obtain  general  acquiescence, 
and  ready  payment  of  any  such  rates  or  taxes,  the  suf- 
frage must  be  greatly  extended ;  and  this  became  a  sub- 
ject of  serious  discussion.  Hitherto  the  land-renters  only 
had  votes,  and  they  only  were  eligible  for  members  of 
the  Council.  The  public  justly  said: — "  This  is  all  well, 
so  long  as  they  are  willing  to  pay  all  expenses,  and  take 
all  responsibilities.  They  claim  all  the  landed  property 
in  the  settlement.  It  is  to  their  advantage,  by  judicious 
outlay,  to  make  it  as  valuable  as  possible.  But  if  they 
require  us  to  help  them  they  must  allow  us  to  participate 
in  deciding  the  best  methods  of  providing  ways  and 
means,  as  well  as  in  paying  the  money  when  the  deci- 
sion is  arrived  at."  And  undoubtedly  they  were  right. 

With  this  question  in  full  discussion,  the  first  year  of 
the  Council's  existence  closed.  The  term  for  which  the 
first  members  were  elected  was  reached ;  and  the  public 
could  but  admit  that  they  had  done  as  well  as  could 
possibly  have  been  expected. 

The  elections  for  the  second  year  resulted  in  many 
changes.  Some  were  inevitable,  several  members  de- 
clining to  serve  a  second  term,  and  others  either  having 
left,  or  being  about  to  leave,  Japan.  But  strange  incon- 
sistency— the  man,  who  of  all  others  had  been  the  most 
assiduous  in  raising  the  Council  and  in  working  for  the 
good  of  the  settlement,  was  left  out.  At  the  time,  I  wrote, 
and,  (as  he  is  still  an  honoured  member  of  the  community), 
I  cannot  refrain  from  quoting  my  own  words  from  the 
Japan  Herald  of  the  26th  May  1866:— 

"  What  the  English  renters  can  have  been  about  in 
passing  over  Mr.  KINGDON  we  are  at  a  loss  to  conceive, 
unless,  indeed,  he  no  longer  appears  on  the  list  as  a 
land-renter.  We  cannot,  however,  allow  him  to  leave  the 
Council  without  reminding  the  community  that  for  the 


876  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

successful  formation  and  working  of  the  Scavenger 
Corps — we  are  almost  entirely  indebted  to  him.  How 
much  this  corps  has  added  to  the  health  and  convenience 
of  the  public  all  must  he  aware.  Since  1863,  long  before 
the  Municipality  was  agreed  to,  he  set  to  work— monthly 
collecting  the  necessary  funds  from  the  residents ;  and 
often  have  we  seen  him  at  early  morn,  while  half  Yoko- 
hama was  still  sleeping,  active  in  seeing  the  men  were  at 
work  and  doing  their  work  well.  When  the  Municipality 
came  into  existence,  the  Sanitarj'  Committee  found  this 
corps  in  perfect  working  order ;  and  we  have  come  to 
look  upon  its  efficiency  as  so  pre-eminently  the  work  of 
Mr.  KINGDON,  that  we  are  really  sorry  that  he  will  direct 
it  no  longer.  Of  course  many  others  in  the  Council 
deserve  all  the  credit  their  constituents  could  afford  them ; 
but  too  often,  in  elections  of  this  kind,  the  best  services 
are  forgotten,  the  most  assiduous  labour  left  unacknow- 
ledged. It  is  to-day  as  it  ever  was — the  public  is  the 
hardest  master  to  satisfy :  the  slowest  to  perceive  when 
it  has  a  good  servant :  the  most  niggardly  in  rewarding 
when  found:  and  the  first  to  cast  him  aside  to  chafe 
under  a  sense  of  indifference  and  neglect." 

Of  all  the  members  elected  to  the  first  Council,  there 
remain  only  the  following  still  resident  in  Japan. 

Dr.  HEPBTJKN,  Messrs.  GAY,  SCHULTZE,  MACPHERSON, 
KINGDON,  WILKIN,  MACDONALD,  and  HEGT. 

And  here  for  the  present  I  leave  this  theme.  Of  the 
ultimate  fall  of  the  Council,  it  will  be  my  duty  to  tell  in 
the  second  volume. 


CHAPTER  XXXIV. 


(C 


THE        JAPAN  TIMES        STARTED. — CHAMBER  OF    COMMERCE. 

YOKOHAMA     RIFLE       ASSOCIATION     AND      TIR      NATIONAL. — 

YOKOHAMA  ENJOYMENTS. — ICHIBOO  EXCHANGE. — ARRIVAL  OF 
H.M.S.  "  PRINCESS  ROYAL." — DEPARTURE  OF  ROYAL  MARINES. 
— H.B.M.  SUPREME  COURT. — CLOSE  OF  THE  YEAR  1865. 

IN  September  1865,  was  started  the  Japan  Times. 
It  was  never  publicly  known  who  its  proprietory  con- 
sisted of,  (although  it  was  pretty  generally,  and,  no 
doubt  correctly,  surmised) ;  and  it  was  represented  as 
being  under  no  special  editor,  but  under  a  kind  of 
editorial  board  of  gentlemen,  who  met  and  decided  as  to 
its  line  of  policy,  articles,  &c.  Its  projector,  and  cer- 
tainly its  real  editor,  was  Mr.  CHARLES  EICKERBY,  who, 
so  far  as  ability  went,  lacked  nothing.  Had  his  tact 
been  equal  to  his  talent,  the  Japan  Times  might  have 
become  a  power  in  the  land  ;  for,  without  question,  it  was 
well  written  ;  and  it  had  excellent  sources  of  information. 

VOL.  i  uu 


878  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

Mr.  EICKERBY  had  been  the  manager  of  the  first  bank 
established  in  Yokohama ;  and  in  that  capacity  was  a 
general  favourite.  Genial,  liberal,  fairly  well  read,  hos- 
pitable, and  public-spirited  withal,  he  had  peculiar 
qualifications  for  maintaining  the  leading  position  bank 
managers  usually  hold  in  commercial  communities. 

Eetiring  from  this  position,  however,  he  purchased  the 
printing  plant  and  goodwill  of  a  daily  paper — the 
Commercial  News,  which  had  been  running  under  the 
proprietorship  of  Mr.  F.  DA  EOZA,  a  Portuguese  subject, 
for  some  two  years  ;  but  which  had  languished  for  want 
of  a  properly  qualified  editor. 

Mr.  BICKEKBY  made  his  arrangements,  and  brought 
out  his  paper,  under  the  new  title  mentioned  above. 

But  Yokohama  owes  to  Mr.  EICKEEBY,  perhaps  in  a 
greater  degree  than  to  any  one  else,  the  establishment  of  a 
Chamber  of  Commerce.  It  has  already  been  told  that 
the  first  meetings  to  consider  the  necessity  for  such  an 
institution  were  held  in  his  house ;  and  he  was  the 
prime  mover  and  advocate. 

On  the  8th  November  1865,  at  a  meeting  which  was 
considered  private,  the  Chamber  was  established ;  all  the 
gentleman  then  present  enrolling  themselves  as  the 
original  members. 

It  is  needless  to  say  how  useful  to  commerce  the 
Chamber  has  proved.  Combined  action  on  the  part  of 
foreign  merchants  for  the  purpose  of  protecting  them- 
selves against  the  combinations  of  native  merchants 
constantly  taking  place  both  in  China  and  Japan,  had 
never  been  found  practicable  ;  but  the  Chamber  formed 
a  means  of  securing  unanimous  action  against  the 
illegal  obstructions  placed  in  the  way  of  business  by  the 
officials  of  the  government,  to  which  allusion  has  been  so 
frequently  made.  The  voice  of  the  Chamber  was  likely  to 
be  attended  to  both  by  Consuls  and  Ministers,  to  a  far 


RIFLE  ASSOCIATIONS,  &C.  379 

greater  extent  even  than  memorials  signed  by  several 
individual  mercantile  firms.  As  was  said  at  the  time, 
"  great  political  questions  always  force  themselves  upon 
a  minister's  attention,  but  the  '  little  things,' — the  '  'tis 
buts,'  of  daily  intercourse  in  the  country,  demand  a 
notice  that  is  never  accorded  to  them ;  and  these  it 
would  be  the  particular  duty  of  the  Chamber  to  take 
under  its  care." 

I  ought  to  have  mentioned  another  institution  which 
about  this  time  sprung  into  existence — "  The  Yokohama 
Eifle  Association."  There  was  already  a  Swiss  "  Tir 
National,"  the  members  of  which  were  confined  to  gentle- 
men of  the  Helvetian  Kepublic.  The  Y.  E.  A.,  however, 
admitted  all  nationalities  to  membership ;  and  for  a  number 
of  years,  held  annual  competitions,  which  were  always 
spiritedly  entered  into  by  marksmen  of  all  classes — from 
private  soldiers  up  to  the  field  officers,  and  to  the  lead- 
ing members  of  our  little  society.  Japanese  even  were 
invited  to  attend  and  compete ;  and  it  is  worthy  of 
remark  that  Colonel  MURATA,  now  admittedly  one  of  the 
foremost  marksmen  in  the  world ;  and  the  inventor  of 
certain  improvements  in  the  rifle,  which  his  government 
have  adopted ;  first  made  his  public  appearances  at  the 
competitions  of  the  Yokohama  Eifle  Association,  and  the 
annual  fetes  of  the  Swiss  Tir  National. 

On  the  formation  of  the  Y.  E.  A.,  Lieut.  HARRIS,  of 
H.  M.'s  XXth  Eegiment,  who,  with  many  of  his  brother 
officers,  joined  it,  wrote  to  the  Wimbledon  Association, 
and  announced  its  birth.  In  reply  he  received  the 
Society's  Silver  medal,  to  be  contended  for  by  members 
of  the  Y.  11.  A.,  subject  to  Wimbledon  rules. 

It  was  Lieut.  HARRIS,  also,  who  succeeded  in  reviving 
the  Volunteers. 

Eaces,  regattas,  sailing-matches,  athletic  sports,  all 
had  their  turn  ;  and  thus  it  may  be  seen  that  as  a  com- 


380  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

munity  Yokohama  was  most  singularly  favoured  in  those 
days.  It  was  not  as  yet  split  up  into  factions ;  it  had  no 
lawyers  to  create  for  it  the  character  it  afterwards 
obtained  as  the  most  litigious  place  in  the  East ;  and  it 
had  any  amount  of  young  blood,  energy,  and — what 
rendered  these  most  available — plenty  of  money  circulat- 
ing. Ladies  were  increasing  in  numbers,  imparting  a 
charm  that  had  long  been  wanting ;  and  balls,  picnics 
and  country  excursions,  were  frequent.  Almost  every  one 
had  his  pony  and  made  use  of  him.  And  the  country 
around  the  settlement  offered  inducements — by  the  loveli- 
ness and  variety  of  the  scenery,  and  the  friendliness  of 
the  country  people — for  pedestrian  exercise,  which  was 
hardly  ever  omitted,  day  by  day.  Yes,  in  those  days,  it  was 
a  real  privilege  to  live,  and  to  enjoy  life,  in  Yokohama. 

The  presence  of  the  military  and  naval  forces  has  been 
mentioned  as  socially  advantageous.  It  was  so  in  a 
variety  of  ways.  In  the  first  place,  it  was  the  extra- 
ordinary addition  that  the  boo  exchange  made  to  them 
in  doubling  the  pay  of  all  ranks,  that  caused  such  an 
abundance  of  money  to  be  circulated. 

It  will  not  be  time  thrown  away  if  I  give  my  readers  a 
little  insight  into  this  '  boo  exchange '  business.  I  must 
premise  that  the  Japanese,  on  the  representations  of  Sir 
KUTHEEFORD  ALCOCK  and  his  colleagues,  on  the  termina- 
tion of  the  weight  for  weight  system  at  the  close  of  the 
first  year's  intercourse,  had  agreed  that  all  officials  be- 
longing to  the  Treaty  Powers  should  be  permitted  to 
exchange  dollars  for  native  currency  at  its  true  value — 
viz.  311  boos  for  $100.  There  was  no  injustice  to  the 
country  in  this.  On  the  contrary  it  was  indirectly  bene- 
ficial ;  for  none  spent  money  more  freely  with  native  shop- 
keepers than  the  class  who  would  particularly  benefit  by 
the  arrangement ;  and  of  course  it  gave  them  enhanced 
means  of  doing  it. 


IOHJBOO  EXCHANGE.  381 

The  merchants  preferred  that  all  money  dealings  should 
be  left  to  a  regular  course  of  exchange — depending  on 
supply  and  demand ;  as  it  gave  them  greater  opportunities 
for  making  money  by  speculating  for  the  rise  or  fall ;  and, 
as  a  fact,  the  scarcity  of  boos  was  so  great  in  comparison 
with  the  demand,  that  the  price  for  a  very  long  time 
fluctuated  between  210  and  230  boos  for  the  $100. 

So  long  as  there  were  only  the  officers  of  the  legations 
and  consulates  to  be  supplied,  all  was  plain-sailing 
enough.  These  gentlemen  honestly  exchanged  the  amount 
of  their  pay  only ;  but  when  the  forces  put  in  an 
appearance  and  claimed  the  privilege  of  the  exchange,  it 
was  gladly  accorded  to  them,  and  it  was  agreed  that  each 
grade  should  be  allowed  to  change  a  certain  specific  sum 
per  diem. 

Thus,  taking  the  military: — Every  commissioned  officer 
was  allowed  to  exchange,  irrespective  of  his  actual  rank 
or  pay — three  dollars  a  day,  at  three  boos  for  each 
dollar.  Every  private  soldier  and  non-commissioned 
officer  was  allowed  to  exchange  one  dollar  a  day  at  the 
same  rate.  Had  it  been  possible  for  each  individual 
private  to  take  his  money  to  the  Custom-house  daily,  and 
change  the  amount  of  his  pay,  it  would  have  made 
a  difference  to  him  of  no  less  than  fifteen  boos 
a  month.  For  taking  the  average  rate  of  pay  at 
one  shilling  a  day,  it  would  amount  to  30s.  a 
month — @  4/3--^$7.06  @  3  boos=21  boos  3  tempos. 
But  he  was  entitled  to  change  $1  a  day — $30  a  month — 
that  is — in  addition  to  his  pay,  he  was  entitled  to  the  dif- 
ference of  exchange  on  $22.94  a  month,  which  difference 
(supposing  the  current  rate  of  exchange  on  the  open 
market  to  be  235  boos  iwr  $100)  amounts  to  about  15 
boos.  So  that  by  the  boo  exchange  a  soldier's  (or 
a  sailor's)  pay  was  actually  nearly  doubled.  But 
where  was  a  private  soldier  to  get  a  dollar  a  day  to 


382  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

exchange  ?  Well !  there  was  no  difficulty  of  that  kind 
experienced.  It  was  all  managed  through  the  pay- 
master. The  money  was  found — the  exchange  was 
taken :  but  he  got  the  amount  of  his  pay — and,  in  the 
first  instance,  that  only,  in  native  currency  at  the  ex- 
change of  three  boos  for  one  dollar ;  the  rest  all  went 
into  what  was  called  an  "  Ichiboo  fund." 

This  fund  originated  thus.  On  the  XXth  Eegiment  ar- 
riving here,  the  amount  over  and  above  the  exchange  on  the 
true  pay,  accumulated  so  fast,  and  to  such  an  amount, 
that  a  meeting  of  the  officers  was  convened,  and  it  was 
decided  to  establish  a  general  fund:  from  which,  first,  the 
exchange  on  the  full  pay  of  all  officers  receiving  over 
three  dollars  a  day  should  be  made  up,  and  then,  the 
balance  should  be  divided  between  the  officers  and  men 
in  shares  proportionate  to  their  pay,  the  soldier  getting 
one  share,  a  captain  about  thirty,  a  major  about  fifty- 
three  shares,  and  so  on.  If  any  one  will  estimate  the 
true  pay  of  the  officers  and  men  at  the  exchange  of  three 
boos  for  $1 — the  dollar  being  fixed  at  s.4/3d.,  and  then 
the  rate  actually  drawn,  it  will  be  seen  what  was  the 
advantage  to  each  individual. 

Now,  let  me  on  to  other  matters. 

H.  M.  S.  Princess  Eoyal,  bearing  the  flag  of  Admiral 
KING,  arrived  on  the  7th  August,  and  the  Japanese  had 
to  admire  the  presence  of  two  fine  line-of-battle  ships — 
the  new  arrival  and  the  Conqueror — anchored  in  close 
proximity  in  the  harbour. 

The  Eoyal  Marines,  who  had  been  brought  to  Yokohama 
in  the  Conqueror,  left  in  her  for  home  on  the  23rd 
August,  having  done  good  work  during  their  presence  in 
Japan. 

On  the  4th  September  a  change  of  a  most  important 
kind  was  made  in  the  administration  of  the  law  to 
British  subjects. 


H.B.H.  SUPREME  COURT  IN  CHINA  AND  JAPAN.  383 

Her  Majesty's  "Order  in  Council,"  substituting  a 
Supreme  Court  for  the  Consular  Courts  in  China  and 
Japan  came  into  operation. 

There  were  to  be  one  Judge,  and  a  Law  Secretary, 
besides  the  necessary  officers  and  clerks. 

Sir  EDMUND  HOENBY  was  appointed  the  Judge.  He 
was  to  reside  at  Shanghai,  where  the  ordinary  sittings 
would  be  held.  Mr.  W.  GOODWIN  was  the  Assistant 
Judge.  And  either  one  or  other  would  from  time  to  time 
visit  Japan  as  on  circuit.  Ultimately  it  was  determined 
that  the  Assistant  Judge  should  reside  in  Yokohama  but 
in  the  meantime  the  Consul  would  act  as  Judge.  The 
change  worked  well  from  the  first.  Sir  EDMUND  HOBNBY, 
as  an  adept  at  organization,  and  possessed  of  immense 
energy  and  personal  influence  :  and  Mr.  GOODWIN,  as  a 
man  of  sound  and  varied  learning,  and  many  accomplish- 
ments :  were  both  admirably  suited  for  the  positions 
allotted  to  them ;  winning  and  preserving  universal 
respect. 

One  provision  of  the  "  Order  in  Council "  has  pro- 
duced a  good  deal  of  annoyance  and  opposition.  It  is 
that  contained  in  clauses  114  to  116,  which  provide  for 
the  annual  registration  of  British  subjects,  each  renewal 
of  registration  costing  the  artizan  and  labourer  one 
dollar,  and  all  others  five  dollars.  By  many  it  is  found 
to  be  a  tax  most  unwillingly  paid ;  but  its  non-payment 
means  non-protection. 

The  year  1865  closed  peacefully  and  pleasantly,  so  far 
as  foreigners  were  concerned.  It  cannot  be  said  that 
familiar  intercourse  with  all  ranks  had  been  attained ; 
but  there  were  not  wanting,  symptoms  of  improvement 
even  in  this  respect.  Occasionally  excursionists  would 
return  after  a  jaunt  into  the  country  and  tell  of  having 
encountered  a  little  incivility  from  samurai  whom  they 
met  on  the  road.  But  it  was  very  rare.  As  a  rule  the 


884  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

universal  report  was  that  they  had  been  received  with 
kindness  and  cordiality  everywhere.  By  this  time,  such 
was  the  confidence  felt  by  the  residents,  that  not  one  in 
ten  thought  of  carrying  a  revolver,  unless  when  going  on 
a  particularly  long  journey  ;  or  one  that  was  little  known 
and  seldom  traversed.  Indeed  everything  betokened 
that  the  old  dread  might  be  set  aside,  and  that  a  safe  and 
agreeable  intercourse  might  be  looked  for  in  the  future. 
The  ratification  of  the  Treaty  by  the  Mikado,  had  the 
effect  of  strengthening  this  feeling  of  security.  How  this 
ratification  was  obtained  shall  form  the  theme  of  an- 
other chapter. 


CHAPTEE  XXXV. 

SIB  HARRY  PARSES,  AND  HIS  PRACTICAL  MEASURES. — THE 
RATIFICATION  OF  THE  TREATIES  THE  '  SINE  QUA  NON.' — 
ACCORD  BETWEEN  FOREIGN  REPRESENTATIVES. TRADE  BENE- 

% 

FITS  BY  THE  GENERAL  ACCORD. — EXPORT  OF  SILKWORM'S 
SEED,  VIRTUALLY  THE  SALVATION  OF  ITALIAN  SILK  ENTER- 
PRIZE. — SQUADRON  ORDERED  TO  HIOGO. — STATE  EMBARKATION 
OF  MINISTERS. — PROCEEDINGS  AT  HIOGO,  OSAKA  AND  KIOTO. 
VISIT  OF  MEMBERS  OF  GOROJIU  TO  THE  SQUADRON. — OCCU- 
PATION OF  THE  OFFICERS  OF  THE  LEGATIONS. TEN  DAYS 

GIVEN  FOR  A  FINAL  REPLY. — EXCITEMENT  AT  KIOTO. — THREATS 
AGAINST  THE  TYCOON  AND  THE  MIKADO. — MIKADO  REQUESTS 
THAT  THE  SQUADRON  WILL  LEAVE  HIOGO. — DISGRACES  TWO 
MEMBERS  OF  GOROJIU. THE  FOREIGN  REPRESENTATIVES  RE- 
MAIN FIRM. — LETTER  WRITTEN  TO  THE  MIKADO  BY  THE 
TYCOON  OFFERING  TO  RESIGN,  FORTUNATELY  STOPPED. — IN 
ITS  STEAD,  DOCUMENT  PREPARED  ENTREATING  THE  MIKADO  TO 
GIVE  HIS  SANCTION  TO  THE  TREATIES. — THE  TYCOON  SENDS 
TROOPS  TO  KIOTO. — MIKADO  STILL  UNFAVORABLE. — TYCOON 
PROCEEDS  TO  KIOTO  ;  ORDERS  APPREHENSION  OF  DAIMIO'S 

OFFICERS,  and  ASSEMBLES  REPRESENTATIVES  OF  DAIMIOS. — 

EXCITEMENT  EXCESSIVE. — FOREIGN  MINISTERS  HOURLY  IN- 
FORMED OF  PASSING  EVENTS — STILL  FIRM. — CRISIS  AT  HAND. 
— FINAL  INTERVIEW  BETWEEN  THE  GOROJIU,  HIGH  OFFICIALS 
AND  THE  TYCOON,  WITH  HITOTSUBASHI  AT  THEIR  HEAD,  AND 
THE  MIKADO. — THEIR  RESOLUTION. — HITOTSUBASHl's  ACTION. 
— THE  MIKADO  YIELDS. — THE  TREATIES  ARE  RATIFIED. — 
INSTANTANEOUS  EFFECT. — LETTER  OF  THE  SATSUMA  CLAN  TO 
THE  MIKADO,  PROTESTING  AGAINST  THE  OPENING  OF  HIOGO, 
AND  DEMANDING  TO  BE  PLACED  IN  VAN  OF  THE  ARMY  TO 
OPPOSE  IT. 

His  Excellency  Sir  HARRY  PARKES  landed  in  Yokohama 
on  the  18th  July  1865. 

YOL.    I  W 


886  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

Mr.  GRIFFIS,  in  his  excellent  work  "  The  Mikado's 
Empire,"  says : — 

"  To  the  English  was  reserved  a  quiet  victory  and  a 
mighty  discovery,  second  to  none  achieved  on  the  soil 
of  the  mysterious  islands.  English  scholarship  first 
discovered  the  true  source  of  power,  exposed  the  counter- 
feit government  in  Yedo,  read  the  riddle  of  ages,  and 
rent  the  veil  that  so  long  hid  the  truth.  It  was  the 
English  Minister,  Sir  HARBY  PABKKS,  who  first  risked  his 
life  to  find  the  tiuth  ;  stripped  the  Shogun  of  his  fictitious 
title  of  '  Majesty  ' ;  asked  for  at  home,  obtained,  and  pre- 
sented credentials  to  the  Mikado,  the  sovereign  of  Japan  ; 
recognised  the  new  National  Government,  and  thus  laid 
the  foundation  of  true  diplomacy  in  Japan." 

Sir  HAEBY  could  have  done  but  little  without  his  diplo- 
matic colleagues.  Sir  EUTHEBFORD  ALGOCK  and  Mr.  DE 
WITT  were  the  first  to  arrive  at  a  thorough  conviction  of 
the  real  nature  of  the  power  of  the  Mikado  and  the 
Tycoon  respectively ;  although  Mr.  HAEEIS  had  seen  good 
reason  to  suspect  it  even  before  his  treaty  was  completed. 
My  readers  will  remember  his  threat  that  if  there  were 
further  delays  he  would  go  to  the  metropolis,  and  nego- 
ciate  with  the  Mikado  direct. 

At  the  conference  held  at  Yokohama  on  the  18th 
September,  1864,  directly  after  the  receipt  of  the  intel- 
legence  of  the  battle  of  Shimonoseki, — Sir  E.  ALCOCK,  M. 
LEON  EOCHES,  Mr.  PEUYN  and  M.  DE  GEAEFF  VON 
POLESBEOEK  being  present, — it  was  suggested  by  each  of 
these  foreign  representatives  to  TAKEMOTO  KAI-NO-KAMI 
the  representative  of  the  T}Tcoon,  that  a  favourable  op- 
portunity now  presented  itself  for  the  Tycoon  to 
urge  on  the  Mikado  the  propriety  of  at  once  ratify- 
ing the  treaties.  "  Hitherto,"  they  said,  "the  Tycoon 
has  always  been  considered  as  the  treaty-making 
power  in  Japan,  and  the  sole  representative  of 
Government  in  relation  with  foreign  States.  But  if  it 
continued  to  be  demonstrated  that  the  Tycoon  had  not 


SEB  HARRY  PAEKES  AND  THE  TREATIES.        387 

the  necessary  authority,  and  was  so  completely  over-ruled 
by  a  superior  power  in  the  State,  as  to  be  unable  to 
prevent  or  resist  orders  for  the  rupture  of  treaties,  how- 
ever well-disposed  he  might  be  to  maintain  them, 
foreign  powers  would  sooner  or  later  have  no  alternative 
but  to  seek  this  superior  power  in  the  State,  and  make 
their  own  terms." 

From  this  it  will  be  understood  that  Sir  HARRY  PARKES 
would  never  think  of  appropriating  the  praise  so  gener- 
ously bestowed  on  him  by  Mr.  GRIFFIS.  From  the  well- 
known  energy  of  his  character,  it  is  quite  likely,  that, 
no  sooner  had  he  arrived  at  his  post  than  he  set 
vigorously  to  work  to  investigate  the  exact  nature  of  the 
dual  government.  Sir  HARRY  had  this  advantage  over 
his  predecessor,  that  he  was  himself  a  line  Chinese 
scholar,  and  as  all  the  best  Japanese  works  on  political 
and  historical  affairs  are  in  the  Chinese  character,  he 
may  have  been  able,  with  a  very  little  aid  from  his 
excellent  subordinates,  (the  gentlemen  of  the  English 
legation,  who  had  studied  the  language,  written  as  well  as 
spoken,  from  their  arrival  in  1859  and  onwards),  to  read, 
mark  and  inwardly  digest,  everything  that  could  be  found 
bearing  on  the  subject. 

He  soon  satisfied  himself,  beyond  question,  of  this  one 
great  and  fundamental  truth — that  whatever  the  Tycoon 
might  be,  the  Mikado  was  sovereign  of  all.  He  may 
have  argued  with  himself  that  the  Queen  did  not  intend, 
and  was  placed  in  a  false  position  by  being  allowed,  to 
enter  into  a  treaty  with  any  but  the  sovereign.  He 
doubtless  saw  as  clearly  as  anyone  the  weakness  of  the 
Mikado ;  and  unquestionably  he  recognised  that  the 
strength  of  the  Tycoon  was  passing  away,  and  that  no- 
thing was  hastening  its  annihilation  so  much  as  the  fact 
of  treaties  having  been  made  with  foreigners,  against 
the  will  of  the  Mikado. 


388  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

It  was  manifestly  quite  impossible  now  to  rescind  the 
treaties.  The  foreign  powers  had  acted  in  good  faith  in 
making  them,  and  if  they  had  been  deceived  by  the 
governing  officers  of  Dai  Niphon,  they  could  not  allow 
themselves  to  be  fooled  and  sent  to  the  right  about, 
merely  because  the  Tycoon  and  his  Government  had 
done  that  which  they  ought  not  to  have  done. 

It  was  well  that  the  good  accord  between  the  diplomatic 
corps  in  Japan  was  sufficiently  strong  to  allow  of  all 
acting  together  on  this  most  important  occasion.  All 
agreed  that  it  was  of  primary  necessity  that  the 
treaties  should  be  ratified.  Sir  HAERY  considered  that 
this  must  be  effected  whatever  might  be  the  consequence 
to  the  Tycoon.  All  the  other  ministers  had  a  very 
strong  sympathy  for  the  Tycoon,  who  had  endured  so 
much  for  foreigners  ;  but  yet,  on  this  point  they  held 
the  same  views,  and  all  worked  together  to  secure  this 
great  desideratum. 

Locally,  in  Yokohama,  trade  was  benefiting  in  a 
marked  degree  from  the  united  and  energetic  action  of 
the  ministers.  The  restrictions  that  had  been  so  perplex- 
ing were  quickly  disappearing.  The  export  of  Silk- 
worm's eggs,  so  highly  important  to  Europe  at  that 
period,  became,  (principally  through  the  persuasions  of 
of  M.  LEON  EOCHES),  a  remarkable  and  permanent 
feature  in  the  exports.  That  year,  disease  had  destroyed 
nearly  the  whole  of  the  silkworms  of  France  and  Italy  ; 
and  Japanese  was  the  only  seed  sent  that  was  success- 
fully cultivated,  to  replace  them.  It  may  be  said  that 
the  Italian  silk  trade  was  saved  from  utter  annihilation 
solely  through  Japan  thus  opportunely  coming  to  the 
rescue. 

But  all  these  were  trifling  affairs  beside  the  great  and 
absorbing  one  of  the  Treaties.  So  now  a  united  eifort 
was  to  be  made  to  settle  this. 


EMBARKATION  OF  MINISTERS  FOR  OSAKA.  389 

Towards  the  close  of  October  it  began  to  be  rumoured 
that  several  of  the  ships  of  war  in  harbour  had  been 
ordered  to  hold  themselves  in  readiness  to  start  for  the 
Inland  sea,  and  the  community  was  not  long  allowed  to 
remain  in  ignorance  of  the  reason. 

On  Wednesday  the  4th  November,  early  in  the  morn- 
ing, a  detach'ment  of  the  2nd  Batt.  of  H.  M.  XXth 
Kegiment  marched  down  to  the  west  h-atoba  under  the 
command  of  Captain  BLOUNT.  A  battery  of  Artillery 
also  fell  into  position  on  the  Bund,  and  there  awaited 
the  arrival  of  Sir  HARRY  PARKES,  who  was  about  to  em- 
bark on  board  of  H.M.S.  Princess  Eoyal,  (a  noble  two- 
decker  of  73  guns),  to  proceed  with  the  ministers  of 
France,  Holland  and  the  United  States,  accompanied  by 
the  combined  squadron,  to  Hiogo,  in  the  Inland  sea.  At 
3.30  H.E.  Mons.  LEON  ROCHES  left  the  hatoba  for  the 
Guerriere  frigate,  the  troops  presenting  arms,  and  the 
band  playing  "  Partant  pour  la  Syrie."  A  few  minutes 
later,  Sir  HARRY — accompanied  by  Mr.  EUSDEN  the 
Japanese  Secretary  of  Legation,  Colonel  BROWNE,  and 
Messrs.  MCDONALD,  SATOW  and  VON  SIEBOLD — arrived  at 
the  hatoba,  the  soldiers  receiving  him  with  the  usual 
formalities.  Taking  leave  cordially  of  Colonel  BROWNE 
and  Mr.  E-TSDEN,  His  Excellency  stepped  into  the  boat, 
attended  by  Mr.  MCDONALD,  the  Artillery  firing  a  salute, 
the  band  playing  "  God  save  the  Queen."  A  second 
boat  conveyed  the  interpreters,  Messrs.  SATOW  and 
VON  SIEBOLD,  and  directly  they  had  all  embarked  the  signal 
was  made  for  the  squadron  to  weigh.  The  Dutch 
corvette  Zoutman,  with  M.  VON  POLESBROEK,  H.N.M. 
Minister,  was  the  first  in  motion ;  the  Princess  Royal  not 
a  minute  later ;  and  the  latter,  going  ahead,  led  the 
squadron  out  of  harbour  in  grand  style.  H.M.S.  Pelorus, 
with  Mr.  PORTMAN  the  U.S.  Charge  d' Affaires  on  board, 
was  next  ready,  but  waited  to  give  the  pas  to  the  Guerriere 


390  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

with  the  French  dispatch  boat  Kienchang  in  tow.  Then 
came  the  Leopard,  Dupleix,  and  Argus  with  the  British 
gunboat  Bouncer  in  tow.  And  in  this  order  they  were 
lost  to  sight. 

All  this  display  was  thought  necessary,  in  order  to 
mark  the  great  end  the  expedition  had  in  view.  The  com- 
plete success  the  ministers  met  with  shall  now  be  told. 

The  importance  of  the  events  about  to  be  recorded, 
cannot  be  over-estimated.  The  ratification  of  the  Treaties 
entered  into  by  the  Tycoon  and  foreign  governments,  by 
the  Mikado,  would  be  the  greatest  stride  towards  progres- 
sive, pleasant  and  profitable,  intercourse  between  Japan 
and  other  countries,  of  any  that  could  occur.  It  was  all- 
essential.  It  would  be  a  new  starting  point.  It  would  con- 
firm Japan  as  a  member  of  the  comity  of  nations,  and 
render  the  universal  progress  of  the  country  an<J 
people  certain. 

The  Tycoon  and  his  Government  had  information 
of  the  intention  of  the  foreign  representatives  to  visit 
Osaka.  On  the  arrival  of  the  fleet,  he  was  at  Kioto, 
awaiting  the  final  orders  of  the  Mikado  respecting 
Choshiu.  On  the  very  day  on  which  the  foreign  ships 
dropped  anchor  off  Hiogo,  he  received  a  djicn-baori 
(war-dress)  and  a  tatchi  (war-sword) — equivalent  to  an 
order  to  take  up  his  arms  and  set  his  troops  in  motion. 

The  foreign  ministers  at  once  sent  officers  to  Osaka, 
with  letters  to  the  Gorojiu,  in  which  was  stated  the 
requirements  of  the  treaty  powers  : — viz. 

1st. — "  The  Ratification  of  the  Treaties  by  the  Mikado. 
2nd. — "The  opening  of  Hiogo. 
3rd.— "The  Kevision  of  the  Tariff. 

Two  or  three  days  afterwards  the  members  of  the 
Gorojiu  came  themselves  to  Hiogo,  and  had  an  interview 
with  the  foreign  representatives.  After  relating  what 
had  been  done  to  induce  the  Mikado  to  sanction  the 


EXCITEMENT  IN  KIOTO  AND  OSAKA.  891 

treaties, — after  having  repeatedly  asserted  that  without 
this  sanction,  the  execution  of  the  treaties  was  almost 
impossible, — they  added  the  declaration  that  the  question 
was  a  very  dangerous  one,  on  account  of  the  hostile 
feelings  entertained  by  many  towards  foreigners.  At  the 
close  of  a  very  long  conference,  the  Gorojiu  promised  to 
add  their  exertions  to  those  of  the  Tycoon,  and  spare  no 
trouble  to  obtain  the  imperial  sanction :  which,  they 
said,  was  "  as  necessary  to  the  Tycoon  himself  as  to 
foreigners." 

Accordingly,  the  following  day,  high  officials  were 
sent  to  Kioto.  Meanwhile,  the  officers  of  the  various 
legations  were  at  work  at  Osaka,  busily  employed  in 
explaining  and  illustrating  the  intentions  and  fixed 
resolutions  of  the  representatives. 

*  Our  ministers  considered  that  a  prompt  and  energetic 
diplomatic  action  was  requisite  to  effect  the  desired  end. 
The  Gorojiu  called  again,  and  agreed  with  the  ministers, 
that  the  utmost  efforts  of  the  Tycoon  and  his  government 
were  indispensable,  and  that  no  time  should  be  lost  in 
discussing  the  matter  with  the  Council  of  the  Mikado. 
Ten  days  were  then  given  for  a  final  reply. 

Whilst  these  negotiations  were  going  on  at  Osaka, 
Kioto  was  in  an  indescribable  state.  Emissaries  of 
daimios  rushed  in,  to  counter-order  the  departure  of  the 
Tycoon.  Bonins  made  horrible  threats  against  the  life  of 
the  Tycoon,  and  even  against  the  Mikado  himself. 

The  Mikado  begged  that  the  men-of-war  should  be 
removed  at  once,  and  declared  he  would  not  sanction 
the  treaties.  He  then  ordered  the  removal  of  Ar.p. 
BUNOO-NO-KAMI  and  MATS'MAI  IDZUMI-NO-KAMI  from  the 
Gorojiu,  and  took  from  them  their  title  of  Kami. 

These  two  daimios  were  ordered  at  once  to  retire  to 
their  dominions,  and  to  express  their  regret  for  the 
favour  they  had  shown  to  the  foreign  cause. 


392  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

The  Tycoon  and  his  government  were  stupefied  at  this 
' unexampled  audacity  of  Kioto.1  They  thought  that  from 
such  an  act  to  the  deposition  of  the  Tycoon  by  the 
Mikado,  the  distance  was  small. 

Osaka  and  Kioto  were  in  a  state  of  revolution.  The 
foreign  representatives  were  informed  of  all  these 
changes,  hut  they  became  more  determined  than  ever 
— encouraged  by  the  Tycoon  and  his  ministers. 

A  letter  was  about  to  be  sent  to  the  Mikado,  in  which  the 
Tycoon  offered  to  retire ;  and  begged  that  the  Tycoonate 
might  pass  into  the  hands  of  HITOTSUBASHI,  and  the 
command  of  the  army  be  entrusted  to  his  relatives  the 
daimios  of  Owari  and  Kishiu.  In  order  to  prove  to  the 
Mikado  and  his  Court,  that  he  was  in  earnest,  he  ordered 
the  eight  Japanese  steamers  at  anchor  before  Hiogo,  to 
move  at  once  to  Osaka,  to  be  ready  to  convey  him  to 
Yedo. 

Happily,  this  letter  was  stopped ;  and  the  Tycoon  was 
told  that  it  was  a  shame  for  himself,  and  a  disgrace  to 
his  ancestors,  to  abdicate  and  to  yield  to  a  miserable 
faction,  tyrannising  over  the  Mikado  and  his  Council, 
when  he  was  at  the  head  of  an  army  of  300,000  men. 

Another  most  remarkable  document  was  therefore 
prepared  and  sent  to  Kioto.  In  this  masterpiece  of 
Japanese  literature,  the  Tycoon  entreats  the  Mikado  to  give 
his  sanction.  And  to  support  his  diplomatic  note,  he 
moved  with  34,000  of  his  best  troops  to  Fushimi,  about 
eight  miles  from  Kioto.  There  he  sent  for  some  members 
of  the  Mikado's  Council;  but  the  reply  was,  that  the 
emissaries  of  the  hostile  daimios,  and  the  ronins,  were 
so  enraged,  that  it  was  unsafe  for  them  to  undertake 
the  journey.  The  Mikado,  indeed,  gave  the  Tycoon  to 
understand  that  his  presence  was  necessary  to  protect 
the  sacred  person. 

The  Tycoon  at  once  proceeded  to  Kioto,  with  2,000 


THE  CRISIS.  393 

troops,  ordered  some  daimios  officers,  apparently  ronins 
and  in  the  employ  of  high  members  of  the  Mikado's 
Council,  to  be  apprehended;  and  assembled  all  the 
representatives  of  the  daimios  actually  at  Kioto. 

The  excitement  was  great — the  crisis  fearful.  The 
officers  of  the  legations,  sent  to  Osaka  on  a  special 
mission,  met  only  the  stern  and  sorrowful  faces  of  the 
Tycoon's  followers,  all  more  or  less  ready  to  perform  the 
hara-kiri,  should  the  Tycoon  be  compelled  to  retire. 
This  painful  excitement  lasted  three  days.  The  re- 
presentatives of  the  four  powers,  almost  hourly  informed 
of  the  state  of  affairs,  were,  during  all  this  time,  busily 
engaged  day  and  night. 

The  Japanese  fleet  was  now  ordered  to  leave 
Hiogo  and  Osaka,  and  take  refuge  in  the  Bay  of 
Youra. 

The  climax  was  hourly  approaching.  The  member  of 
Gorojiu,  OGASAWARA  IKI-NO-KAMI,  throughout  the  whole  of 
the  night  of  the  22nd  November,  discussed  with  36 
deputies  of  the  daimios  the  question  of  the  sanction  of 
the  Treaties.  He  succeeded  in  persuading  them ;  but 
there  were  invisible  enemies  round  the  Mikado,  and  he 
himself  feared  for  his  life. 

At  last,  all  the  members  of  the  Gorojiu,  the  great 
metsukes  and  high  officials  of  the  Tycoon,  with  HITOTSU- 
BASHI  at  their  head,  called  on  the  Mikado,  and  prostrated 
themselves  at  his  Majesty's  feet.  The  Mikado  was 
moved ;  but  messages  containing  threats  were  brought  in 
every  minute,  and  the  sacred  emperor  was  still  hesita- 
ting, when  all  the  high  officers  declared  they  would  die  at 
once,  should  they  not  obtain  what  they  were  sent  for. 
HITOTSUBASHI  went  so  far  as  to  take  hold  of  the  sleeve  of 
the  Mikado,  respectfully  swearing  that  he  would  not 
loose  his  hold  until  His  Majesty  sanctioned  the  Treaties. 
Finally,  the  Kuambaku — the  first  officer  of  the  Mikado — 
VOL.  i  ww 


894  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

was  directed  to  bring  the  BOOK  OP  THE  IEBEVOCABLE 
WILLS — and  the  sanction  was  given. 

The  change  was  instantaneous.  Where  all  was  fear 
and  distrust,  confidence  and  resolution  became  triumph- 
ant. All  congratulated  each  other  on  the  issue  of  their 
patient  labours ;  all  expressed  the  strongest  confidence  in 
the  future;  and  they  could  well  say  with  the  utmost 
truth  : — "  We  have  accomplished  a  great  work." 

The  European  ministers  did  not  themselves  go  to 
Osaka,  but  H.M.  gunboat  Bouncer  went  backwards  and 
forwards  every  day  with  dispatches.  The  result  was 
told  in  the  following  notification : — 

MIKADO  RATIFIES  TREATY. — TARIFF  TO  BE  ADJUSTED. — 
HIOGO  TO  BE  OPENED  IN  1868 — EARLIER  IF  POSSIBLE. — AND 
THE  INDEMNITY  MONEY  WILL  BE  PAID. 

The  following  is  a  translation  of  a  letter  sent  by  the 
high  officers  of  Satsuma  at  Kioto,  to  the  Mikado,  with 
reference  to  the  opening  of  Hiogo.  To  this  I  would  ask 
my  readers  to  pay  special  attention ;  and  to  bear  it  in 
mind,  when  we  come  to  the  events  of  1868. 

"  Although  we  do  not  exactly  know  the  motives  which 
have  brought  into  the  harbour  of  Hiogo  the  ships  of  the 
barbarians,  still  we  have  been  confidentially  informed  that 
after  a  conference  held  between  the  same  barbarians, 
ABE  BUNGO-NO-KAMI  and  MATS'DAIRA  IDZU-NO-KAMI,  it  has 
been  agreed  that  Hiogo  should  be  open,  and  satisfaction 
given  to  their  demands  within  ten  days ;  and  that,  on 
this  occasion  the  Tycoon  would  come  up  to  Kioto. 

"  Now,  your  Majesty  is  well  aware  that  Hiogo  is  in  the 
vicinity  of  your  sacred  residence,  and  a  very  important 
port  in  the  Inland  Sea.  We  are,  for  this  reason,  far 
from  thinking  that  your  Majesty  will  for  a  moment 
entertain  the  idea  of  allowing  the  opening  of  Hiogo. 

"  Since  the  American  came  and  trampled  on  our  land, 
the  resolution  of  your  Majesty  has  been  immutable. 
That  we  all  know,  and  admire  more  than  any  other  of 
your  subjects.  We  dare  to  say  that  we  do  not  entertain 
serious  anxieties  on  this  subject. 


LETTER  OP  SATSUMA  TO  THE  MIKADO.  395 

"  Still,  it  might  happen  that  the  statements  made  to 
Your  Majesty  should  move  your  heart,  and  in  exacting 
from  you  concessions,  put  your  Empire  in  a  danger  and 
in  an  opprobrium  unknown  until  our  days,  and  which  a 
thousand  years  would  not  repair. 

"Nothing  less  than  the  submission,  or  the  rebellion,  of 
the  hearts  of  the  people,  is  at  stake,  and  regrettable 
concessions  would  be  the  origin  of  immense  calamities. 
We  therefore  humbly  request  Your  Majesty,  to  convoke, 
at  once,  all  the  daimios ;  and,  after  having  taken  their 
advice,  to  cause  the  Majesty  of  Your  Empire  to  shine, 
once  for  all. 

"However,  such  a  measure  would  take  time,  and  it 
might  happen  that  these  barbarians  should  fatigue  Your 
Majesty  with  their  obstinate  resolutions.  Should  they 
dare  to  act  lightly,  it  would  be  the  duty  of  Your  Majesty 
to  decree  their  expulsion.  In  such  a  contingency, 
although  our  infirm  yasliilti  has  but  very  few  hands 
at  present,  according  to  the  instructions  of  SHIURI 
TAIYO  OSUMI-NO-KAMI  (SHIMADZU  SABURO)  we  offer  to  form 
the  advance  guard ;  and,  by  fighting  to  death,  we  would 
endeavour  to  show  our  gratitude  for  all  the  favours  with 
which  we  have  been  blessed  in  the  Empire  of  Your 
Majesty. 

"May  Your  Majesty  deign  to  receive  our  request,  and 
forgive  its  intrusiveness. 

THE  HIGH  OFFICEES  OF  SATSUMA  YASHIKI." 


CHAPTER  XXXVI. 

AFFAIES  IN   YOKOHAMA. ARRIVAL  OF  THE  FUSIYAMA. FIRE 

IN  YEDO. — SCHOOLS. — NATIVE  PECULIARITIES. — PROFESSOR 
RISLEY. — MANY  USEFUL  SCHEMES  AFLOAT. — GENERAL  PRO- 
GRESS. 

THE  dawn  of  1866  saw  Mr.  F.  MYBURGH  arrive  from 
England,  and  enter  upon  his  duties  as  H.B.M.  Consul 
at  Yokohama ;  Mr.  MARCUS  FLOWERS  resuming  the 
functions  of  Vice  Consul,  but  leaving  at  the  end  of  the 
month  for  Nagasaki. 

It  also  saw  the  establishment  of  a  Pony  corps,  followed 
a  few  months  later  by  the  resurrection  of  the  Volunteers. 
Everything  of  this  kind  was  very  fitfully  carried  out. 
A  fine  spirited  start  would  be  made,  and  it  looked  as  if 
such  energy  would  be  lasting,  and  carry  everything 
before  it ;  but  it  generally  proved  a  mere  fizzle,  and  after 
the  first  effervescence,  became  dull  and  quiescent. 

Political  matters  were  particularly  unexciting.  The 
Envoy  of  the  King  of  Belgians  indeed  arrived,  and  visited 
Yedo  with  the  view  of  feeling  his  way  towards  a  treaty ; 
and  his  reception  was  so  far  satisfactory  that  negociatioiiH 
were  laid  in  train  which  resulted  in  the  accomplishment 
of  his  wishes  within  a  few  weeks  from  that  time. 


IMPBOVING  AMENITIES.  397 

But  one  event  of  a  really  interesting  character  I  must 
mention ;  because  it  was  the  first  time  the  barrier  was 
fairly  set  aside,  which  had  opposed  itself  obstructively  to 
genial  intercourse  between  natives  of  high  birth  and 
foreigners. 

It  was  been  mentioned  that  the  construction  of  a  good 
drive  round  by  Mississippi  Bay  had  been  the  means  of 
inducing  many  to  keep  carriages.  Amongst  others,  Mr. 
JOHN  MAC  DONALD,  of  H.B.M.  Legation,  had  his — a  hand- 
some mail  phaeton — in  which  he  ordinarily  drove  two, 
but  not  infrequently  four,  Japanese  ponies. 

About  the  middle  of  January,  a  member  of  Gorojiu, 
MATSZ'DAIEA  HOKI-NO-KAMI,  visited  Yokohama  with 
several  of  the  high  government  officials.  He  took  occa- 
sion to  congratulate  the  foreign  ministers  on  the  removal 
of  all  the  old  restraints  that  had  existed  before  the 
ratification  of  the  treaties — and  even  admitted  how  very 
difficult  had  been  the  position  of  the  Tycoon  and  his 
government  as  standing  between  the  foreigners  and  the 
Mikado :  unable,  in  some  sort,  to  tell  either  party  the  exact 
truth  with  regard  to  the  other.  But  the  most  extra- 
ordinary circumstance  connected  with  this  visit  was  its 
finale ;  and  we  can  hardly  class  it  as  among  secondary 
affairs,  indicating  as  it  does  the  remarkable  change  in 
feeling  in  the  Japanese  mind  towards  foreigners. 

MATSTJDAIRA  HOKI-NO-KAMI,  acknowledged  that  until  the 
ministers  went  up  to  Hiogo,  he  had  never  met  a 
European.  He  was  an  elderly  man,  and  one  of  the 
most  polished  even  of  the  Japanese  nobles.  Before 
leaving  for  Yedo,  he  asked  Mr.  MAC  DONALD,  to  drive  him 
in  his  carriage  to  Kawasaki,  as  he  would  much  prefer 
that  mode  of  transit  to  returning  in  the  steamer.  Mr.  MAC 
DONALD,  having  courteously  assented,  the  steamer  was 
despatched  to  Yedo,  and  MATSUDAIBA  HOKI-NO-KAMI,  with 
four  others,  mounted  the  vehicle.  The  legation  guard 


398  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

under  Captain  APPLIN,  and  a  number  of  his  own 
attendants,  accompanied  them,  and  the  whole  route 
along  the  Tokaido  presented  a  most  extraordinary  scene 
of  excitement,  the  surprise  of  all  grades  being  unbounded. 
This  was  really  one  of  the  most  remarkable  coups  yet 
known  in  Japanese  and  foreign  intercourse.  The 
pleasure  exhibited  by  all  was  extreme ;  and  at  Kawasaki 
they  did  not  part  without  the  warmest  expressions  of 
regard  on  both  sides. 

On  the  23rd  January,  the  Fusiyama,  the  first  of  the 
war-vessels  ordered  by  the  Japanese  through  Mr. 
PRUYN,  the  U.  S.  Minister,  arrived  from  America. 

A  very  few  days  revealed  the  fact  that  the  government 
naval  authorities  were  anything  but  proud  of  their 
acquisition.  They  expressed  themselves  plainly,  in  terms 
that  showed  their  dissatisfaction  with  this  specimen  of 
what  they  were  to  expect  the  ships  to  be  which  they  had 
fondly  hoped  would  have  been  the  real  nucleus  of  their 
national  navy.  She  was  placed  under  the  command  of 
an  officer  of  the  French  navy. 

In  Yedo  a  terrible  fire  broke  out  on  the  28th  January 
in  Asakusa.  In  that  district  three  daimio's  yashikis  were 
burnt,  a  great  number  of  streets  were  laid  in  ruins,  and 
the  great  outermost  portal  of  the  Temple  of  Kuanon- 
saina,  was  destroyed.  Beaching  the  banks  of  the  river 
Sumida,  Adzuma-bashi  (bridge)  was  partially  burnt,  and 
the  fire,  leaping  across  the  river,  (as  broad  here  as  the 
Thames  at  London  Bridge),  laid  in  ashes  in  Hondjo, 
four  yashikis  of  daimios,  many  residences  of  hatamotos, 
and  many  streets.  It  was  said  that  a  hundred  and  fifty 
persons  lost  their  lives,  a  hundred  and  seventy  were 
wounded,  and  ten  thousand  houses  were  consumed  in 
this  terrible  conflagration. 

From  Osaka,  the  news  came  that  Choshiu  had  sub- 
mitted to  the  Mikado  and  Tycoon,  admitting  himself  to 


EDUCATIONAL.  399 

be  in  the  wrong ;  and  was  awaiting  their  decision  con- 
cerning him.  It  was  thought  that  this  would  be  lenient, 
as  from  the  attitude  of  the  clan  it  was  evident  that  any 
harsh  judgment  would  be  resisted,  and  the  renewal  of  the 
struggle  would  be  immediate. 

In  former  chapters  I  have  spoken  of  schools  for 
foreign  instruction  having  been  established.  Long 
ago,  while  yet  some  of  the  American  missionaries  re- 
sided in  Kanagawa,  the  government  sent  several 
young  men  from  Yedo  to  be  instructed  in  English ; 
and  more  lately,  schools  had  been  established  by 
authority,  and  under  the  protection,  of  the  respective 
governors,  both  in  Yokohama  and  Nagasaki,  for  the 
benefit,  especially,  of  the  sons  of  the  higher  classes. 
The  school  at  Yokohama  made  wonderful  progress ;  it 
now  numbered  over  fifty  pupils — young  men,  it  must  be 
borne  in  mind,  not  picked  up  by  the  way-side  and 
entreated  to  come  in,  but — belonging  to  the  upper  class, 
and  sent  thither  with  the  sanction  and  by  desire  of  the 
government. 

In  addition  to  this  government  school,  as  it  may  be 
called,  some  of  the  wives  of  missionaries  had  classes  of 
Japanese  boys  under  instruction  in  English,  and  with 
much  success. 

The  French  school  for  the  instruction  of  the  sons  of 
gentlemen,  in  active  operation  at  Benten,  had  met 
with  most  satisfactory  results,  and  was  strongly  sup- 
ported by  the  Japanese  authorities. 

But  now  the  Gorojiu  was  going  a  step  further.  It  was 
about  to  erect  school  buildings  in  Yedo,  in  which  a 
hundred  young  men  of  family  should  be  taught.  There 
were  to  be  an  English  and  a  French  department ;  and 
missionaries  were  applied  to  take  charge  of  them. 

This  was  the  origin  of  the  present  university,  now  so 
familiarly  known  as  the  Kaisei  Gakko.  The  time  has 


400  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

not  yet  come  for  me  to  dwell  on  the  subject  of  education 
at  large.  But  it  will  form  one  of  the  most  instructive 
and  interesting  chapters  of  the  second  volume. 

Up  to  the  time  I  have  arrived  at  in  my  narrative, 
the  progress  in  Japan  had  been  slow;  but  little  as  it 
was,  it  had  been  accomplished  under  nearly  insurmount- 
able difficulties. 

Still  it  was  sure.  And  it  was  very  marked.  Those 
who  resided  here  and  saw  it  growing  week  by  week,  used 
to  remark  upon  it  as  wonderful  and  interesting  in  the 
extreme. 

The  Japanese  have  always  been  noted  for  one 
peculiarity  beyond  all  others — Inquisitiveness.  They 
would  quietly  walk  into  a  foreign  dwelling-house,  and 
ask  to  be  allowed  to  see  the  rooms.  It  was  not  always 
agreeable  ;  but  they  were  rarely  denied  :  and  no  doubt 
those  who  were  thus  favoured,  reported  all  that  they  had 
seen — the  size  of  the  rooms,  the  elegance  of  the  furniture, 
the  brightness  of  the  mirrors,  the  costliness  of  the 
plate,  the  luxuries  of  the  bed-chambers,  the  cleanliness 
and  comfort  pervading  the  whole.  Thus  gradually 
a  custom  began  to  show  itself,  of  native  gentlemen 
having  one  room  in  their  houses,  furnished  after 
a  foreign  fashion,  with  a  handsome  square  carpet 
or  rug  in  the  centre  of  the  room — over  their  own 
nice  mats;  a  table  covered  with  a  gag  cloth  and 
chairs  surrounding  it,  in  the  middle  of  the  carpet; 
glass  windows  in  at  least  one  of  the  sliding  sashes ; 
and,  sometimes,  pictures  and  mirrors  hanging  on 
the  sides  of  the  room.  Many  began  to  eat  meat  and 
declare  that  they  liked  it ;  and  all  would  drink 
champagne  to  any  extent ;  thus  giving  the  best  proof  of 
their  approbation.  As  yet  none  dare  appear  openly  in 
foreign  costume.  Any  who  did  so  would  certainly  have 
been  roughly  handled.  But  it  was  not  long  before  they 


PROFESSOR  R1SLE7.  401 

adopted  them  without  fear.  Indeed  in  a  variety  of  ways, 
some  large,  some  small,  the  forward  movement  as 
exhibited. 

In  concluding  this  chapter,  one  striking  fact  may 
be  mentioned:  viz.,  that,  although  children  are 
nurtured  from  the  maternal  breast,  up  to  an  age 
when  the  children  of  Europeans  are  solidifying  them- 
selves with  good  butcher's  meat,  yet  the  native 
adult  had,  until  lately,  and  many  have  still,  an  aversion 
to  milk,  all  but  unconquerable.  It  was  years  after  the 
advent  of  foreigners  to  this  country  before  the  supply  of 
good  cow's  milk  was  sufficient  for  their  ordinary  wants. 
The  little  that  was  obtainable  was  sold  almost  as  a 
favour  by  the  European  butchers,  who  kept  a  few  good 
Japanese  cows,  and  did  the  best  they  could  to  accom- 
modate their  regular  customers. 

The  first  attempt  at  a  regular  dairy  was  made  by 
Professor  KISLEY,  of  whom  I  have  already  spoken  as  the 
introducer  of  ice  among  our  Yokohama  luxuries  ;  and  as 
the  first  introducer,  also,  of  Japanese  acrobats  to  foreign 
countries. 

RISLEY  was  a  man  who  never  did  himself  justice.  He 
was  for  some  years  a  resident  in  Yokohama ;  but  at  one 
time  of  his  life,  his  name  was  well  known  in  all  the 
great  capitals  of  Europe  and  America.  I  remember 
him  with  his  sons  at  the  Strand  Theatre  in 
London  in  1843,  when  his  fame  and  success  seemed 
carrying  everything  before  him.  Apart  from  his  great 
strength  and  agility,  and  the  wonderful  pluck  and 
cleverness  of  his  boys,  which  enabled  him  to  present  an 
entertainment  as  attractive  as  it  was  at  that  time  unique, 
he  was  peculiarly  cut  out  for  the  kind  of  Bohemian  life 
he  had  chosen.  He  was  a  wonderful  rifle  shot ;  a  good 
billiard  player ;  up  to  everything  that  lithe  and  active 
men  most  rejoice  in,  He  knew  thoroughly  well  the 

YOL.    I  XX 


402  YOUNa  JAPAN. 

usages  of  good  society,  and  could  hold  his  own  with  high 
or  low.  His  fund  of  anecdote  was  marvellous ;  and  he 
could  keep  a  roomful  of  people  holding  their  sides  with 
laughter,  without  the  least  appearance  of  effort,  or  the 
faintest  shade  of  coarseness.  Yet  after  his  very  suc- 
cessful European  career,  he  did  not  manage  to  progress. 
His  boys  grew  up,  and  became  too  big  to  be  tossed 
about  like  playthings  on  the  soles  of  their  father's  feet ; 
and  besides  he  wisely  wished  to  placed  them  in  a  better 
sphere  than  that  from  which  he  had  himself  sprung, 
and  accordingly  sent  them  to  be  properly  educated  and 
to  make  their  way  as  good  citizens  in  America,  the 
land  of  their  birth. 

He,  however,  saw  no  other  means  of  earning  his 
own  bread,  but  by  following  his  profession ;  and  to  this 
end,  adopted  another  lad,  who  was  not  one  whit  less 
clever  than  his  own  sons  had  been.  With  him  he  went 
to  Australia ;  and  there  found  it  was  as  much  as  he  could 
do  to  make  both  ends  meet.  I  saw  him  there  in  1858, 
on  the  Bendigo  diggings  and  at  the  Back  Creek  rush, 
at  the  latter  of  which  he  employed  men  to  dig  for  him — 
but  he  told  me  that  from  his  claim  he  "  never  saw  the 
colour"  (of  gold). 

The  next  time  I  met  him  was  when  he  came,  as  the 
joint  proprietor  of  a  Circus,  to  Yokohama.  This  enter- 
prise failed  entirely ;  and  he  would  have  been  left  high 
and  dry  but  for  his  remarkable  energy  and  spirits. 
These  gave  confidence  to  many,  and  procured  for  him 
assistance ;  none  entering  more  kindly  and  sympa- 
thetically into  his  schemes  than  Mr.  G.  S.  FISHER,  the 
U.  S.  Consul,  and  Mr.  J.  ALLMAND  (an  American  mer- 
chant, resident  in  Yokohama,  who  had  been  with 
Commodore  PERRY  in  his  visits  to  Japan  in  1858-4). 
These  gentlemen  not  only  listened  to  his  proposals  anent 
the  establishment  of  a  dairy  in  Yokohama,  but  they 


DAIRIES.  408 

provided  him  with  the  means  to  set  about  it ;  and  had  he 
been  content  to  make  this  his  business,  and  stick 
steadily  to  it,  he  might  long  ere  this  have  been  a 
thoroughly  independent  man. 

The  dairy  trade  now  has  become  an  important  one. 
There  are  in  Yokohama  alone  two  large  dairies  foreign- 
owned,  besides  several  Japanese  on  a  lesser  scale.  And 
in  Tokio,  the  latter  must  abound ;  for,  in  all  quarters  of 
the  city,  milk  is  procurable  at  all  times. 

The  reader  will  be  amused  to  see  Mr.  RISLEY'S  own 
account  of  a  difficulty  that  beset  his  first  importation  of 
cows.  It  will  also  show  the  real  kindness  of  heart,  which 
was  his  best  characteristic. 

On  the  24th  February  1866,  the  trim  little  regular 
trading  schooner  Ida  D.  Rogers,  at  that  time  the  most 
favourite  of  the  vessels  that  kept  up  communication 
between  Japan  and  the  United  States,  arrived  from 
California,  having  on  board  Mr.  RISLEY  and  the  nucleus 
of  his  intended  dairy — six  fine  cows  and  their  calves. 
The  little  craft  was  noted  for  her  rapid  passages,  but 
this  unfortunately  was  unusually  protracted.  It  lasted 
seventy  days,  and  at  one  time  there  was  a  fear  that  the 
cattle  would  have  died  for  want  of  water. 

I  took  down  the  following  from  Mr.  RISLEY'S  first 
interview  with  me  when  he  called  tupon  me  to  tell  me 
of  the  safe  arrival  of  his  new  importation. 

"Waal!  Got  back  you  see;  though  I  know  the  bettin' 
was  against  me — but  we  had  a  narrow  squeak  for  it  as 
ever  you  saw.  But  here  I  am  !  and  I've  got  six  as  fine 
cows  as  ever  were  milked — and  six  fine  calves  too.  But 
its  God's  mercy  I've  got  them  here ;  for  I  never  was 
nearer  losing  anything  in  niy  life.  Not  a  drop  of  water 
left — and  they'd  been  on  half  allowance  for  several  days. 
We  were  close  to  Yokohama  a  month  ago — and  blown 
light  off  to  the  north,  and  had  to  beat  up  against  a  dead 


404  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

head  wind,  and  thought  we  should  never  get  here.  Waal ! 
one  day — I  was  wretched  seeing  the  poor  beasts  licking 
the  sides  of  their  boxes  and  the  deck,  and  lapping  every- 
thing they  could  : — b'lieve  me  I  could  hardly  stand  it — I 
can't  bear  to  see  a  poor  dumb  animal  suffering — but — if 
you'd  only  seen  the  poor  creatures !  As  I  passed  along 
in  front  of  them  they'd  try  to  lay  hold  of  me,  as  if  to  ask 
'  why  don't  you  bring  us  some  water  ? '  I  really  hardly 
knew  how  to  endure  it.  At  last,  I'd  made  up  my  mind 
that  they  must  all  die,  and  was  only  thinking  whether 
I  should  throw  them  overboard  or  let  them  die — and  not 
yet  able  to  make  up  my  naind — when  God  was  merciful 
and  sent  a  night's  rain.  I  worked  like  a  horse ;  and 
all  that  night  I  was  employed  in  catching  water — and  I 
saved  six  thousand  gallons — I  did — all  with  my  own 
hands  !  There  !  you  may  judge  how  I  worked.  Every 
bucket-full  passed  through  my  hands.  \Yaal !  You  may 
smile — but  it  did,  you  know !  and  the  cows  were  saved. 
I  never  was  so  relieved  in  nay  life.  When  the  rain  came, 
the  ship  was  rolling  terribly — and  the  Captain  said 
'  Professor — don't  you  go  forward — it's  like  tempting 
Providence — you'll  be  sure  to  go.' — 'Waal!'  said  I, — 
'I'm  not  very  comfortable  here,  so  if  I  must  go  I  must — 
but  the  poor  cows  shall  have  some  water  first.'  And  so 
thejr  did.  You  should  ha'  seen  them  before  the  water  ran 
short !  But  they're  splendid  cattle — I  picked  them  all 
myself  from  any  quantity — and  I  flatter  myself  I  know 
good  milkers  when  I  see  them — all  selected  for  dairy 
purposes  you  know — not  for  anything  else— -and  they'll 
turn  up  trumps — you  see  !  " 

As  a  laudable,  profitable  and  most  useful  enterprise, 
dairy  farming  has  turned  up  trumps  ;  but  the  professor 
could  not  settle  down  to  attend  to  it.  In  the  course  of  a 
few  days,  he  was  off  to  Tientsin  for  a  cargo  of  ice,  and 
ultimately  both  the  dairy  and  the  ice  business  passed 


SCHEMES.  405 

into  other  hands  whilst  he  rushed  off  to  America  and  to 
England  as  the  manager  and  part  proprietor  of  a 
Japanese  Acrobatic  troupe — with  which  he  imagined  he 
should  coin  money.  'Yas,  Sir!  Yas !  the  biggest  thing 
you  ever  saw  in  your  life,  Sir ! " 

Ee verting  to  more  weighty  themes,  it  were  well  to 
notice  the  real  state  of  affairs  as  more  particularly  af- 
fecting foreigners  at  this  period. 

The  treaties  having  been  ratified,  the  path  for  every- 
thing else  was  made  smooth.  The  Japanese  and  foreign 
ministers  were  about  to  meet  to  discuss  the  tariff  ques- 
tion, which  had  become  of  serious  importance. 

But  at  this  time  there  were  many  schemes  afloat — 
almost  all  of  which  have  been  carried  out ;  and  it  is  a 
most  suggestive  fact  that  they  had  all  been  undertaken 
by  the  Japanese  Government  before  the  ratification,  and 
whilst  they  were  apparently  yielding  to  the  pressing 
commands  of  the  Mikado  that  they  should  drive  foreigners 
from  the  country. 

Thus,  there  was  afoot  a  scheme  for  a  dock.  There  was 
the  mint  project — which  it  was  hoped  to  have  so  far 
completed  by  1868,  when  Osaka  was  to  be  opened,  that 
coincident  with  this  event  there  might  be  an  improve- 
ment in  financial  calculations. 

Then  there  was  the  proposal  for  lighthouses  on  the 
principal  points  and  headlands  of  the  Japanese  coast. 
No  less  than  twenty  three  were  proposed,  and  the  matter 
was  seriously  being  considered  by  the  Japanese  Govern- 
ment. 

Already  minting  machinery  and  six  lighthouses  had 
been  ordered  in  France;  and  shortly  afterwards  the 
Yokosuka  Dock  was  commenced  under  the  superin- 
tendence of  French  enginers,  and  with  the  pecuniary  as- 
sistance of  French  financiers.  The  Government  did  not 
confine  their  orders  to  any  one  nationality;  as  yet 


406  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

Great  Britain  hardly  appeared  to  have  her  fair  share  of 
them.  For  instance — War  vessels :  — the  Americans  were 
to  supply  them — the  Fitxiuannt  being  the  first  in- 
stalment. One  had  also  been  ordered  in  Holland. 
Guns,  mint,  lighthouses: — the  French  obtained  their 
orders.  Schools: — a  Dutch  surgeon  superintended  at 
Nagasaki  their  medical  school : — and  the  establishments 
at  Yokohama  were,  and  at  Yedo  were  about  to  be,  presided 
over  by  French  and  American  teachers.  Officers  were 
required  to  take  charge  of  their  foundries : — at  Nagasaki 
they  employed  a  Dutchman,  at  Yokohama  a  Frenchman. 
They  wished  that  a  naval  officer  should  be  placed  on 
board  the  Fusiyama,  to  instruct  their  own  officers : — the 
post  was  given  to  an  officer  of  the  French  Navy. 

It  mattered  not.  All  was  on  the  right  road  ; 
and  those  they  engaged  did  their  work  well  and  faith- 
fully. Ultimately,  as  will  be  seen,  whilst  each  of  the 
nationalities  named  increased  the  number  of  their  people 
employed  by  the  Government,  England  and  Germany 
also  supplied  a  large  number  of  active  and  able  servants, 
who  helped  forward  the  general  work. 

As  regards  minor  matters  in  Yokohama,  the  place  was 
still  without  any  recreation  ground.  As  long  ago  as 
1864,  it  had  been  agreed  between  the  governor  of  Kana- 
gawa  and  Sir  KUTHERFOED  ALCOCK,  that  the  salt  water 
swamp  at  the  back  of  the  settlement  should  be  filled  up, 
and  converted  into  a  race-course,  surrounding  a  fine 
spacious  area  which  was  to  be  reserved  for  Japanese  and 
foreigners  alike.  The  race-course  was  to  be  rented  to  the 
race  club  at  a  fair  sum,  and  the  enclosure  free  for  all 
recreative  purposes. 

It  was  really  inconvenient  having  no  such  ground  ;  for 
although  the  piece  of  swamp  land  between  the  original 
settlement  and  the  canal,  was  being  slowly  filled  in,  and 
the  portion  thus  reclaimed  was  used  by  cricketers  and 


RECREATIVE.  407 

for  drilling  purposes  until  appropriated  and  built  over, 
yet  we  bad  no  tenure  of  it,  and  it  was  gradually  absorbed 
and  taken  from  us.  We  began  now  to  hear  of  a  proposi- 
tion that  had  been  made  to  exchange  the  site  in  rear  of 
the  settlement  for  a  race-course  near  Mississippi  bay ; 
as  it  would  be  more  easily  made  than  by  filling  in  the 
swamp,  and  at  an  infinitely  less  expense.  This  was 
agreed  to,  and  certainly  the  present  race-course,  though 
fully  two  miles  from  the  settlement  is  as  admirable  for 
its  purpose  as  it  is  noticeable  for  the  beauty  of  its  site. 
But  in  this  year  1879,  we  see  the  old  swamp  has  so  long 
been  reclaimed  in  response  to  the  growth  of  Yokohama, 
that  at  least  two-thirds  of  the  present  residents  are  not 
aware  that  it  ever  existed.  There  is  a  good  recreation 
ground,  nicely  planted  and  laid  out  between  the  native 
and  foreign  settlements  ;  and  one  end  of  it  has  been  ap- 
propriated as  a  cricket  ground,  and  is  rented  by  the 
Yokohama  Cricket  club.  But  this  is  anticipatory. 


CHAPTER  XXXVII. 

PROPOSAL  FOR  A  PUBLLC  GARDEN. — VIOLENT  DEATH  OF  A 
FRENCH  SAILOR  AND  ITS  CONSEQUENCES. — ENGLISH  AND 
JAPANESE  TROOPS  PARADE  TOGETHER. — MILITARY  ARRIVALS 
AND  DEPARTURES. — DEATH  OF  MR.  JOHN  MAC  DONALD. — 
CLEMENCY  TOWARDS  A  JAPANESE  SOLDJEP*. — GOVERNMENT 
PERMIT  JAPANESE  SUBJECTS  TO  VISIT  FOREIGN  COUNTRIES. 

IT  had  long  been  the  ambition  of  some  of  the  most 
public  spirited  men  in  Yokohama,  to  secure  for  the  place 
the  advantages  of  a  Public  Garden.  In  March  1866,  it 
appeared  that  their  efforts  in  this  direction  were  likely  to 
be  crowned  with  success.  The  site  chosen  appeared  to 
have  many  advantages ;  although  probably,  from  the 
greater  unevenness  of  its  surface  it  was  inferior  to  that 
subsequently  obtained.  It  occupied  a  large  space  at 
the  extremity  of  the  Eastern  Bluff.  A  meeting  of 
the  residents  was  called,  which  all  the  most  prominent 
of  them  attended.  After  walking  over  the  ground,  Mr. 
W.  H.  SMITH  said  that  he  and  Mr.  LINDAU  had  called  on 
the  Vice-Governor  of  Kanagawa  to  request  him  to  give 
a  lease  of  the  land  required :  and  he  thought  there  would 
be  little  difficulty  in  obtaining  a  lease  for  99  years,  The 
ground  was  everything  that  could  be  desired  for  the 


A  FRENCH  SAILOR  KILLED,  409 

purpose :  and  arrangements  can  be  made  with  a  very 
experienced  Japanese  gardener,  by  which  the  garden 
could  be  always  well  stocked  with  the  best  plants,  and 
the  public  supplied  with  specimens  such  as  are  now  with 
difficulty  obtainable.  This  is  one  of  those  schemes  of 
permanent  advantage  to  the  settlement  that  all  must 
heartily  concur  in." 

And  all  did  concur  in  it,  and  yet  it  fell  through,  and 
we  had  not  a  Public  Garden  until  several  years 
later. 

On  the  evening  of  the  5th  March,  a  very  melancholy 
circumstance  occurred.  That  night  as  Mr.  BECKER  was 
passing  through  Ota-machi,  he  saw  a  French  sailor  ly- 
ing in  the  street.  He  stopped  to  examine  him,  and 
found  that  he  was  speechless,  and  had  a  frightful  gash  at 
the  back  of  the  head,  which  appeared  to  have  been  done 
by  a  blow  with  a  bamboo  or  billet  of  wood.  By  the  aid 
of  some  coolies  the  man  was  taken  to  the  barracks  of  the 
British  Military  Train,  and  there  he  died  in  about  two 
hours.  It  appeared  that  the  man,  in  a  state  of  intoxica- 
tion had  provoked  some  Japanese  beyond  endurance, 
violently  knocking  one  of  them  down  ;  and  they  attacked 
him.  A  comrade  who  was  with  him,  but  who  was  in- 
offensive, was  not  attacked  or  in  any  way  molested  ;  and 
it  was  quite  clear  that  the  deceased  man  alone  was  to 
blame. 

It  happened  that  just  about  this  time  there  had  been 
several  cases  of  these  riotous  proceedings  on  the  part  of 
the  soldiers  and  sailors  in  Japanese  town,  although,  on 
the  whole,  the  conduct  of  the  men  was  good. 

One  day  in  H.B.M.  Consular  Court  there  were  about 
half  a  dozen  sailors  and  marines  before  the  Consul,  to 
answer  more  or  less  serious  charges  against  them.  One 
of  them  had  amused  himself  scattering  his  enemies  and 
clearing  a  street  in  the  Japanese  quarters,  with  a  pole 

VOL.    I  YY 


410  YOUNO  JAPAN. 

ten  feet  long.  Another  had  been  fighting  with  his 
comrades ;  a  third  with  Japanese.  A  fourth  had  been 
riding  furiously  through  the  streets,  and  endangering  the 
lives  and  lirnbs  of  all  who  passed.  In  every  case  they 
pleaded  intoxication  as  an  excuse.  One  of  them  said 
that  as  he  could  not  get  drunk  on  board,  and  he  must  do 
so  somewhere,  that  being  one  of  the  first  duties  to  him- 
self of  the  British  seaman,  his  only  alternative  was  to 
avail  himself  of  his  leave  on  shore  :  and  another  said 
that  he  "  came  ashore  on  purpose  to  get  drunk,  and  that, 
in  his  opinion,  every  sailor  did  the  same."  This  caused 
immense  merriment  in  the  Court,  and  among  the  com- 
munity, when  it  was  reported  in  the  newspapers  ;  but  the 
Japanese  found  that  it  was  a  kind  of  fun  that  they  could 
have  too  much  of.  And  more  than  once  their  annoyance 
got  the  better  of  their  good  nature,  and  the  offenders  had 
been  severely  handled. 

In  this  case,  although  it  was,  at  the  worst,  one  of 
manslaughter,  one  Japanese  was  beheaded,  and  others 
punished — the  Japanese  laws  making  no  distinction 
between  "murder"  and  "  man-slaughter." 

The  foreign  residents  felt  this  severity  very  acutely. 
They  said  that  "  the  man  who  was  beheaded,  was  not  one 
of  the  dangerous  classes.  He  was  one  of  the  common 
people  who  never  greet  foreigners  but  with  respect,  and 
who  set  a  value  on  their  presence.  It  must  have  been 
very  strong  provocation  that  roused  his  ire  to  such  a 
pitch,  as  to  make  him,  although  not  personally  molested, 
call  upon  his  countrymen  around,  to  rise  against  their 
assailant."  They  also  protested  that  "the  excesses  of 
sailors  and  soldiers  had  recently  become  almost  un- 
endurable ;  and  as  this  had  been  repeatedly  pointed  out 
by  the  Press,  their  officers  onght  to  have  taken  steps  to 
control  those,  who,  by  their  misconduct,  not  only  dis- 
graced themselves,  but  brought  their  respectable  and 


GENERAL  GOOD  FEELING.  411 

well-conducted  comrades,  (happily,  the  great  majority), 
into  bad  odour  and  contempt." 

The  finale  was,  that  some  of  the  foreign  residents, 
taking  into  consideration  the  sudden  bereavement  of  the 
man's  widow,  and  to  mark  their  sense  of  the  conduct  of  the 
European  sailor,  in  so  deeply  irritating  her  husband,  as 
to  excite  him  to  the  deed  for  which  he  suffered,  raised,  by 
subscription,  a  respectable  sum  of  money,  and  presented 
it  to  her.  It  is  probable  that  she  never  would  have  had 
so  much  money  under  other  circumstances  ;  and  so  small 
are  the  wants  of  the  Japanese  that  she  could  have  lived 
comfortably  on  the  interest  of  it.  Still  it  was  a  lament- 
able affair,  and  one  that  was  universally  regretted. 

It  must  not,  however,  be  supposed  that  these  contre- 
temps occasioned  ill-feeling  between  the  Japanese  and 
foreigners.  The  former  were  quite  able  to  discriminate 
between  the  good  and  the  bad  :  and  they  knew  well  that 
in  all  communities  both  were  to  be  found.  They  also 
saw  how  sincerely  the  foreigners  deprecated  anything 
like  ill-behaviour  towards  them ;  and  even  that  those  who 
were  the  principal  offenders,  were  kindly  disposed  towards 
them  when  they  had  their  wits  about  them. 

On  the  21st  March,  an  occasion  presented  itself  for 
exhibiting  the  general  good  feeling  between  the  English 
forces  and  the  Japanese  soldiery. 

I  have  mentioned  the  "  march-outs "  and  "  sham 
fights  "  which  the  commandant,  Colonel  BROWNE,  kept  up 
pretty  frequently — for  the  health,  occupation  and  dis- 
cipline of  the  troops.  The  day  named  may  be  well  a  red- 
letter  day  in  the  Yokohama  calendar ;  and  the  proceedings 
are  worthy  of  record.  It  was  the  first  occasion  on  which 
Japanese  and  foreign  troops  paraded  together. 

Punctually  at  nine  o'clock  in  the  morning,  the 
British  troops  from  the  barracks  on  the  Bluff, 
marched  on  to  the  Bund,  and  took  up  a  position  at  the 


412  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

extreme  end  (in  front  of  Nos.  1  to  8).  They  consisted  of 
a  battery  of  Artillery,  a  detachment  of  the  llth,  and  the 
whole  of  the  2nd  batt.  XXth  regiment.  , 

To  their  right,  formed  in  line,  were  the  Japanese 
troops,  in  number  about  eight  hundred ;  and,  at  their 
right  again,  the  Mounted  Volunteers  (Pony  corps). 

With  the  troops  there  was  a  party  from  H.  M.  S. 
Pelorus',  with  one  gun.  The  sight  was  altogether  a  most 
exhilarating  one. 

At  about  9.30,  H.  E.  Sir  HARRY  PARKES,  K.  C.  B.,  with 
the  Governor  of  Kanagawa,  accompanied  by  Colonel 
BROWNE,  Captain  HASWELL  E.  N.,  and  a  brilliant  suite, 
rode  up  and  down  the  line  ;  then,  taking  up  a  position  at 
the  end  of  the  street  which  enters  the  Bund  between  Nos. 
15  and  16,  the  whole  marched  past. 

The  Governor  and  His  Excellency,  having  passed 
some  mutually  complimentary  remarks  and  expressed 
their  approbation  to  Colonel  BROWNE  and  the  Japanese 
commanding  officer,  separated ;  Sir  HARRY  promising  to 
visit  Hoinoku  about  2.30  P.M.,  to  see  the  evolutions  of  the 
troops. 

The  Japanese  soldiers  had  evidently  been  very  care- 
fully drilled  and  disciplined:  and  both  marched,  and 
handled  their  rifles,  in  a  masterly  manner. 

The  Japanese  troops  with  the  English,  and  the 
Mounted  Volunteers  in  the  rear,  now  marched  up  the 
Kanasawa  valley  to  Macpherson's  hill,  (a  distance  of 
six  miles),  and  arrived  there  about  noon.  Here,  in  this 
lovely  spot,  they  were  allowed  to  break  from  the  ranks, 
and  partake  of  a  hearty  repast,  which  all  were  in  a  good 
state  to  enjoy  after  their  walk.  About  2  o'clock,  the 
bugle  sounded  for  the  men  to  fall  in  and  form  in  line  ; 
which  was  quietly  executed  by  the  English,  and  capitally 
followed  by  the  Japanese,  under  the  command  of  KUBOTA 
SENTARO,  commander-in-chief  of  the  native  forces  in 


SHAM  FIGHT.  413 

Yokohama.  The  order  was  then  given  to  march  to  Mis- 
sissippi Bay,  the  Japanese  troops  branching  off  to  the 
right,  the  English  to  the  left.  The  combined  forces  met 
at  the  Bay  with  loud  greetings  of  o-hayo,  (good  morning), 
which  seemed  to  gratify  the  Japanese  officers  and  men, 
and  led  the  former  to  exclaim  that  they  were  glad  indeed 
to  see  their  countrymen  and  foreigners  on  such  friendly 
terms. 

The  march  was  now  resumed  to  Homoku,  the  English 
and  Japanese  bands,  (the  latter  drums  and  fifes  only), 
playing  alternately. 

On  arriving  at  Homoku,  a  portion  of  the  blue-jackets 
were  ordered  to  command  the  height  on  the  left,  and 
about  a  hundred  Japanese,  supported  by  a  battery  of  the 
one  gun  from  the  Pelorus,  to  keep  position  in  the  valley. 
The  battalions  of  the  XXth,  and  a  portion  of  the  llth, 
with  the  main  body  of  the  Japanese  troops,  were  ordered 
to  hold  position  on  the  right,  just  above  the  village  of 
Homoku,  supported  by  a  battery  of  three  guns,  ad- 
mirably placed  in  the  midst  of  a  clump  of  trees. 

About  8  o'clock,  Sir  HARRY  PARKES  arrived  on  the  field, 
and  shortly  afterwards  firing  commenced  from  the  Pelorus 
battery,  supported  by  the  Japanese.  The  latter  made  a 
retreat,  which  was  gallantly  covered  by  the  '  Plungers.' 
The  forces  to  the  right  then  opened  fire,  and  the  battle 
became  general — lasting  about  ten  minutes.  The  firing 
of  the  Japanese  was  very  rapid,  and  evidently  astonished 
many  present.  After  the  order  had  been  given  to  '  cease 
firing,'  the  troops  once  more  fell  into  marching  order,  and 
returned  to  Yokohama. 

One  unfortunate  contretemps  occurred  just  at  starting. 
In  passing  between  the  guns,  the  horse  of  a  sergeant  ran 
against  a  soldier  of  the  XXth,  and  drove  him  against  the 
wheel  of  the  gun-carriage.  The  man  was  sufficiently  in- 
jured to  require  to  be  taken  to  the  hospital.  With  thia 


414  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

exception,  there  was  not  a  single  drawback  throughout ; 
and  this  was  the  more  gratifying,  inasmuch  as  the  re- 
quest that  the  Japanese  should  join  in  the  field  day, 
emanated  from  themselves. 

But  we  were  soon  to  lose  the  XXth  regiment.  On  the 
30th  March,  H.M.S.  Adventure  arrived,  bringing  up  from 
Hongkong  a  wing  of  H.M.'s  9th  regiment,  under  the 
command  of  Major  Darling. 

The  14th  April  saw  the  Adventure  depart  for  Hong- 
kong, with  the  left  wing  of  the  XXth  and  the  detachment 
of  the  llth,  on  board.  The  regiment  was  very  much  re- 
gretted by  the  residents.  Other  regiments  followed,  and 
English  troops  were  not  finally  dispensed  with  until  the 
year  1874.  But  the  times  became  very  quiet,  and  the 
boo  exchange  became  of  less  value,  and  failed  to  give 
them  such  an  increase  of  pay.  The  community,  too,  in- 
crecised  rapidly,  and  business  became  more  absorbing. 
The  consequence  was  that,  with  their  departure,  Yoko- 
hama became  comparatively  hum-drum ;  and  the  old 
social  spirit  has  never  revived. 

On  the  20th  of  April,  the  communit}7  had  to  mourn 
the  death  of  Mr.  JOHN  MACDONALD,  the  senior  assistant  to 
Her  Majesty's  Legation  in  Japan.  He  was  seized 
with  paralysis  as  he  was  walking  in  the  street, 
and  never  regained  consciousness.  He  had  entered  the 
diplomatic  service,  and  had  come  out  direct  to  Japan,  in 
1859,  when  he  joined  the  staff  of  Mr.  ALCOCK  the  British 
minister,  very  soon  after  the  opening  of  the  port.  He 
was  only  28  years  of  age ;  a  native  of  Inverness,  and 
son  of  Mr.  MAC  DONALD,  so  often  mentioned  by  the  Queen, 
in  her  diary,  as  one  of  her  trusty  attendants  at  Balmoral. 
He  was  greatly  liked,  not  only  for  his  gentleman-like 
demeanour,  but  for  his  thorough  amiability  of  character. 
It  will  be  remembered  that  he  was  a  member  of  the  legation 
when  it  was  attacked  in  1861 ;  and  it  was  he  who  drove 


CLEMENCY  TO  A  JAPANESE  SOLDIER.  415 

• 

MATSTJDAIRA  HOKI-NO-KAMI,  in  his  carriage  from  Yoko- 
hama to  Kawasaki,  as  related  in  the  previous  chapter. 

On  the  24th  April,  Mr.  C.  BRENNWALD  arrived  as 
Consul-general  for  Switzerland,  and  Mr.  LINDAU  sent  in 
his  resignation  of  the  office  of  Consul. 

On  the  9th  May,  the  Adventure  returned  from 
Hongkong  with  the  remainder  of  the  9th  Eegiment,  under 
Colonel  KNOX,  who  became  the  commandant  of  the 
garrison. 

On  the  9th,  the  remainder  of  the  XXth  embarked  on 
the  Adventure,  and  next  day  they  were  lost  to  Yokohama 
for  ever. 

One  other  circumstance  I  feel  obliged  to  mention,  as 
having  occurred  before  their  departure. 

A  Japanese  soldier  had,  whilst  drunk,  drawn  his 
sword,  as  two  British  efficers  were  passing,  and  was  only 
prevented  from  assaulting  them  by  two  of  his  sober 
comrades  restraining  him.  He  had  been  tried  and 
sentenced  to  imprisonment.  The  man  was  a  sergeant, 
and,  in  addition  to  his  imprisonment,  he  was  to  be 
degraded  to  the  ranks. 

Colonel  BROWNE,  considering  the  good  understanding 
hitherto  existing  between  the  Japanese  and  foreign 
soldiers,  requested  Sir  HARRY  PARKES  to  apply  for  a 
mitigation  of  the  sentence.  On  the  7th  inst.,  therefore, 
Mr.  MYBURGH,  the  British  Consul,  attended  by  Lieut. 
GOLDSMITH  of  H.  M.  2nd  XXth,  Fort  Adjutant,  Messrs. 
SATOW  and  VON  SIEBOLD  as  interpreters,  and  escorted  by 
a  guard  of  the  Military  Train,  went  to  Kanagawa 
barracks,  Noge,  by  invitation  of  General  KUBOTA  SENTARO. 
The  Japanese  soldiers  were  drawn  up  on  parade,  and  the 
man  brought  forward.  He  was  told  that,  on  the  appli- 
cation of  the  commandant  of  the  British  garrison, 
through  Her  Majesty's  minister,  his  sentence  was 
commuted,  and  he  was  to  remain  in  confinement  no 


416  YOUNG  JAPAN. 

longer.  At  the  same  time,  to  mark  his  general's  opinion 
of  his  crime,  that  portion  of  the  sentence  that  deprived 
him  of  his  rank,  would  be  adhered  to. 

On  the  regiment  hearing  of  the  kindness  of  the 
British  authorities,  they  asked  to  be  allowed  to  present 
arms  to  the  Consul,  which  was  permitted.  So  that, 
probably,  this  little  affair  may  have  been  the  means 
of  strengthening  the  mutual  friendly  feelings,  that  it 
might  have  had  the  effect  of  dissipating. 

On  the  23rd  May  the  Japanese  Government  issued 
a  circular,  which  marked,  more  than  anything  else  that 
had  occurred,  the  advanced  state  of  feeling,  the  real 
progress  of  ideas,  that  now  existed  in  Japan.  With  this 
we  may  well  bring  our  first  volume  to  a  close.  It  ran 
thus : — 

NOTIFICATION. 

"  Persons  wishing  to  go,  in  future,  to  any  of  the 
various  countries  beyond  the  sea,  for  the  purpose  of 
learning  any  science  or  art,  or  for  objects  of  trade,  will 
receive  permission  from  the  government  on  making 
application  to  this  effect. 

"  The  Government  will,  upon  examination,  grant  a 
permit,  with  seal  attached,  to  any  such  person.  Let, 
therefore,  the  application  be  made  out,  giving  the  name 
of  the  petitioner,  and  stating  clearly  how  he  wishes  to 
proceed,  for  what  object,  and  to  what  country  he  intends 
to  go.  Eetainers  of  daimios  and  hatamotos,  should 
make  their  application  through  their  master.  Peasants 
and  citizens  through  the  Governor  or  Rent  Collector  of 
their  place,  or  through  the  lord  of  the  domain,  to  the 
proper  department.  In  case  any  person  should  go 
abioad  secretly,  without  a  passport,  he  shall  be  severely 
punished.  Therefore  let  everybody  understand  and 
observe  this  regulation. 

"The  above  decree  having  been  issued,  it  is  to  be 


THE  NEW  TARIFF.  417 

circulated  and  made  known  to  every  one,  even  to  the 
ordinary  people,  in  order  that  such  as  wish  to  go  may 
make  their  application. 

Government  Office,  May  23rd  1866. " 

It  only  remains  to  be  told  that  the  half  year  ending  the 
30th  June  1866,  to  which  I  have  now  brought  down 
my  narrative,  (and  which  closed  the  commercial  year,  or 
season,  from  July  1865  to  June  1866),  saw  the  completion 
of  the  new  Tariff  arrangement.  The  duties  were 
generally  on  a  5  per  cent,  ad  valorem  basis,  though 
some  special  articles  were  to  pay  special  rates,  and 
some  were  to  pass  free.  The  Bonded  system  was 
adopted,  and  the  Japanese  Government  purchased  of  the 
Dutch  authorities  the  godowns  on  the  lot  originally 
given  to  that  government  for  Consular  purposes.  The 
tariff  was  to  come  into  operation  with  the  commencement 
of  the  new  season — on  the  1st  July. 

The  news  from  Kioto  was  uncertain.  The  terms 
offered  to  Choshiu  were  not  replied  to  by  that  daimio, 
and  on  the  14th  of  the  current  Japanese  month,  seven 
days  were  given  to  him  to  accept  the  terms,  or  fight. 
The  general  belief  was  that  he  would  remain  silent ;  that 
war  would  be  proclaimed  against  him  ;  and  that  the 
Tycoon's  troops  would  be  immediately  set  in  motion. 

It  was  thought  that  Satsuma  would  openly  remain 
quiet,  but  that  he  had  already  sent  a  small  force  to 
assist  Choshiu. 

It  was  pleasant,  at  this  period,  to  be  able  to  write 
as  follows  : — 

"  Thus,  although  there  is  much  to  be  lamented,  we 
think  that  the  good  greatly  predominates — and  as  we 
have  so  recently  expressed  our  convictions  as  to  the 
effects  that  will  most  likely  follow  the  recent  diplomacy 


418  YCJNG  JAPAN. 

> 

nt  Hiogo,  we  cannot  but  look  forward  with  renewed 
satisfaction  to  the  future.  To  us,  the  situation  of  our 
little  world  is  paramount,  and  we  do  not  see  anything 
like  gloom  hanging  over  the  aspect  of  affairs,  in  Japan. 
If  the  Japanese  could  only  be  brought  to  feel  as  kindly 
towards  us  as  we  feel  towards  them,  there  would  be 
no  country  on  earth  more  pleasant  to  sojourn  in  awhile, 
than  this  in  which  our  lot  is  cast.  But  this  state  of 
things  can  only  be  brought  about  by  time." 


END  OF  VOLUME  I. 


I 


UC  SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 


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